Science and technology reporter Zhang Yun.
On March 1, the reporter learned from the Qinghai Provincial Department of Science and Technology that the world's first cloned Tibetan sheep was born, which is also the first cloned animal born on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is understood that this only weighs 3The 4 kg Tibetan sheep "Qingqing" is a phased achievement of the Qinghai Provincial Key R&D and Transformation Program "Research and Application of Engineering Breeding Technology for Improved Sheep Embryos in Qinghai Region".
According to reports, the project is undertaken by Northwest A&F University and Xining Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, and the experimental research is of great significance to improve the quality and efficiency of the Tibetan sheep industry, and to carry out the restoration and protection of rare and endangered animals and the preservation of genetic resources on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
The world's first cloned Tibetan sheep "Qingqing". Photo courtesy of the project team of "Research and Application of Engineering Breeding Technology of Improved Sheep Embryos in Qinghai Region".
A top-of-the-line Ora sheep that provides ear cells. Photo courtesy of the project team of "Research and Application of Engineering Breeding Technology of Improved Sheep Embryos in Qinghai Region".
Su Jianmin, the project leader and a professor at Northwest A&F University, told the reporter that Tibetan sheep is one of the three original sheep breeds in China and is the largest number of livestock bred on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Improving the utilization efficiency of improved Tibetan sheep will be directly related to the "money bags" of local farmers and herdsmen.
However, due to the low reproductive efficiency of Tibetan sheep and the low utilization rate of traditional Tibetan sheep breeds, the development of Tibetan sheep industry is restricted. Through the method of somatic cell cloning, the team collected cells to preserve the germplasm resources of Tibetan sheep, so that millions of cells could be retained for a long time. Su Jianmin said.
In this regard, in 2018, the Xining Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center flexibly introduced Professor Su Jianmin of Northwest A&F University. Su Jianmin led more than 20 graduate students to carry out research on the application technology of yak and Tibetan sheep embryo engineering in Qinghai.
In this somatic cell cloning study, three excellent Euler type rams and one ewe from Henan Mongolian Autonomous County were selected as donors. Su Jianmin introduced that somatic cell cloning does not require sperm, only one somatic cell is injected into an enucleated oocyte, and the reconstructed embryo is obtained through electrofusion and chemical activation. After the clonal embryo was bred by in vitro culture reconstituted embryo, it was transferred to the recipient ewe, and the cloned animal was obtained at full term.
Su Jianmin also said that in order to promote the high-quality and efficient development of the sheep industry in Qinghai agricultural areas, in the future, the team will increase the expansion and promotion of improved Tibetan sheep through the formation of relevant application technology systems, help the revitalization of rural industries with science and technology, and promote the industry to drive farmers' employment and income.
The world's first cloned Tibetan sheep "Qingqing". Photo courtesy of the project team of "Research and Application of Engineering Breeding Technology of Improved Sheep Embryos in Qinghai Region".
The world's first cloned Tibetan sheep "Qingqing". Photo courtesy of the project team of "Research and Application of Engineering Breeding Technology of Improved Sheep Embryos in Qinghai Region".