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Celebrating a century of genetics research
Dolly the sheep
Dolly with Sir Ian Wilmut, who led the team that created her.

Cloned sheep Dolly to feature in Scottish exhibition
 
Dolly the sheep will be the star of an exhibition celebrating 100 years of genetic science in Edinburgh.

Titled 'Towards Dolly', the exhibition will showcase pioneering discoveries that have taken place in the city, taking visitors literally 'towards Dolly' and beyond.

As the first animal to be cloned from an adult cell, Dolly is arguably the world's most famous sheep. Her creation proved it was possible to take cells from anywhere in the body and make them act like a newly fertilised egg.

This discovery paved the way for regenerative medicine and the use of stem cells to investigate fundamental human and animal biology.

"Dolly is the most famous chapter in Edinburgh’s long genetics history," said curator Clare Button.

The exhibition will take place at the University of Edinburgh, featuring rare books, archive documents, pictures and sound and film clips.

Artefacts of note will include the microscope used to create the cloned embryo which led to Dolly's birth and photos from early breeding studies with zebras and horses. This research helped scientists to understand how physical characteristics such as coat colour and markings are passed from one generation to the next.

Visitors will also be able to see the archives of Professor Charlotte Auerbach, who carried out pioneering research on genetic mutations. This work took place from the 1930s onwards and laid the foundations for the use of mutations to discover how genes work.

Dolly is on loan from the National Museums Scotland and will be on display at the university's main library exhibition gallery from 31 July-31 October, 2015. The gallery is open Monday-Saturday from 10am-5pm and admission is free.

Image © Dave Cheskin

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.