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Abstract
This paper addresses the 1996 cloning of Dolly the sheep, locating it within a long-standing tradition of animal breeding research in Edinburgh. Far from being an end in itself, the cell-nuclear transfer experiment from which Dolly was born should be seen as a step in an investigative pathway that sought the production of medically relevant transgenic animals. By historicising Dolly, I illustrate how the birth of this sheep captures a dramatic redefinition of the life sciences, when in the 1970s and 1980s the rise of neo-liberal governments and the emergence of the biotechnology market pushed research institutions to show tangible applications of their work. Through this broader interpretative framework, the Dolly story emerges as a case study of the deep transformations of agricultural experimentation during the last third of the twentieth century. The reorganisation of laboratory practice, human resources and institutional settings required by the production of transgenic animals had unanticipated consequences. One of these unanticipated effects was that the boundaries between animal and human health became blurred. As a result of this, new professional spaces emerged and the identity of Dolly the sheep was reconfigured, from an instrument for livestock improvement in the farm to a more universal symbol of the new cloning age.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 282-304 |
Number of pages | 23 |
Journal | History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences |
Volume | 37 |
Issue number | 3 |
Early online date | 24 Jul 2015 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sep 2015 |
Keywords
- genetics
- breeding
- cloning
- embryo
- animal
- sheep
- agriculture
- Dolly
- Edinburgh
- Scotland
- biotechnology
- recombinant DNA
- Thatcherism
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Animal breeding in the age of biotechnology: The investigative pathway behind the cloning of Dolly the sheep'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
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Between mice and sheep: Biotechnology, agricultural science and animal models in late-twentieth century Edinburgh
Garcia Sancho Sanchez, M. & Myelnikov, D., 30 Jun 2019, In: Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. 75, p. 24-33 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Dolly at Roslin: A Collective Memory Event
Myelnikov, D. & Garcia Sancho Sanchez, M. (ed.), 21 Apr 2017, Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
File -
The Invisible History of the Visible Sheep: How a Look at the Past may Broaden our View of the Legacy of Dolly
Garcia Sancho Sanchez, M., Myelnikov, D. & Lowe, J., 2017, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC, UK). 20 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
Open AccessFile
Profiles
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Miguel Garcia Sancho Sanchez
- School of Social and Political Science - Chancellor's Fellow - Senior Lecturer
- Innogen Institute
Person: Academic: Research Active