Listen Now Download as mp3 or Subscribe Free

• 

  Can modern genetic techniques make new species?

  As the joke goes...if you cross a kangaroo with a sheep you get a wooly jumper. Is it now possible with modern techniques to cross different animals to make one completely new species? PS The show is awesome, keep up the good work. Vinny Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

Related Content

Comments

First, Dolly the Sheep, now what kind of abomination is planned?

There is current research in genetically modifying pigs for xenotransplantation, although it appears as if much of the research is to knock out porcine antigens, rather than expressing human antigens. 

There have also been experiments to express spider silk proteins in goats milk.

It is quite likely that Woolly Mammoths will be cloned in the next few decades or perhaps sooner.  The task will likely at least pattern the woolly mammoth chromosomes based on living elephant chromosomes.

It is likely that both kangaroo fur, and sheep's wool would involve a complex set of several genes.  However, if there was a market for the product, it is possible that it could be done.  I could foresee either choosing to mix genes of wool producing animals (llamas, alpacas, and sheep), or, perhaps specifically breeding better cold (or heat) tolerant livestock by altering the fur producing genes. CliffordK, Mon, 20th Feb 2012

See the whole discussion | Make a comment