Bulk cloning pigs in China

A pig replication center was established in China to serve research, testing drugs and treatment methods.

Central cloning pigs are built in Shenzhen, south of China and are operated by Beijing Gene Institute (BGI). At this facility, the piglets are born by cloning, a single method of reproduction without fertilization.

According to BGI experts, mass pig replication is done to check medicines and treatments for diseases like Alzheimer's. Pigs have a number of gene structures similar to those in humans, so testing on this animal can help scientists in studying the treatment of human diseases.

Transplant procedure in sows.(Photo: BBC)

Here, a small group of pigs that are removed from the growth gene causes them to stop growing after one year of age. Other children have patchwork DNA to make them more susceptible to Alzheimer's disease.

According to the BBC, this is considered the world's largest animal cloning center, producing 500 successful cloned pigs each year. On average, the research team conducted 2 transplants with a success rate of 70-80%.

Dr. Yutao Du, a member of the research team, said there are about 30-50 researchers working at the cloning facility. With this number, they can implement a large-scale replication process like a factory. To make replication more quickly and easily, the institute used human power instead of high-cost machines.

Humanization technology is not new to researchers. But what the center of China can do is apply this technology and technology to the mass production process.