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Head of Sooam Foundation Hwang Woo Suk: “We will conduct a study to restore the mammoth fauna with NEFU scientists”

  • 06 December 2016
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Head of Sooam Foundation Hwang Woo Suk: “We will conduct a study to restore the mammoth fauna with NEFU scientists”

Photo: Svetlana PAVLOVA / NEFU Newsroom

On November 29, Hwang Woo Suk, the head of the Korean Sooam Biotech Foundation, presented the popular-science lecture on animal cloning by researchers of his foundation for NEFU students and teachers. After the lecture, he signed a tripartite agreement with the university rector Evgenia Mikhailova and Valery Chugunov, the head of the regional branch of the Military Historical Society, on the transfer of Russia's first cloned dogs to the dog handlers.

"I have wondered how the foundation can benefit the university and decided to donate specially selected cloned dogs. Together with NEFU rector Evgenia Mikhailova, we thought that they should serve the community and we present "Belgian Malinois" to the Military Historical Society of Yakutia. This is the beginning of cooperation - we will conduct a study to restore the mammoth fauna with the university scientists", Professor Hwang Woo Suk said at the ceremony.

NEFU rector Evgenia Mikhailova said that the partnership with the Korean Sooam Biotech Foundation was started in 2012, after the exhibition "Hello, mammoth" in the Republic of Korea. Scientists of the University and the Foundation conduct research to clone the extinct giant. "We have opened the world’s only laboratory of molecular paleontology, established on the initiative of Semyon Grigoriev, the head of NEFU Mammoth Museum. We would like to preserve the unique species of animals, plants, restore extinct species", said the university rector.

Hwang Woo Suk told about the foundation experts’ activity on the cloning of dogs and other animals. The first experiments were made with the financial support of the US special project on dog cloning. Korean scientists succeeded than American – they have cloned the first puppy called Snuppy. American sample - dog Missy was cloned in a year after the successful experience in 2007.

According to the scientist, the Foundation conducts research of embryonic stem cells, transgenic animals for solving genetic disorders, problems of genetically transmitted diseases. "Our main objective is to help people, developing biotechnology and nurturing a new generation of scientists", the professor said.

According to Hwang Woo Suk, mammoths could extinct, not only because of climate change, but also because of the human influence. "It would be a great achievement to return species to the fauna that have disappeared because of human activity. Currently, we do not have living cells, suitable for the cloning, but we have well preserved samples - the bone marrow, muscles. Laboratory of Molecular Paleontology, established at NEFU, allows to conduct research without transportation to Korea", said the biotechnologist.

Author: Tatiana NOKHSOROVA, NEFU Newsroom

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