A TOP genetic scientist yesterday sounded a warning over a cloning breakthrough which raises the nightmare vision of a real life Brave New World. Prof David Hopkinson, director of the human biochemical genetics unit at University College London, made his comments after news that scientists in Scotland have succeeded in breeding two identical sheep clones.
The scientists used a new method which raises for the first time the genuine possibility that whole flocks or herds of identical sheep or cattle could be created. It also raises the possibility that clones of human beings could also be mass produced.
"It is very frightening to think of the possibilities," said Prof Hopkinson, who is engaged in the human genetic project to produce a map of the human genetic structure.
"Cloning human beings would be totally unethical and totally distasteful, and the idea of producing flocks of identical sheep just to put an extra liver in the farmer pocket doesn't appeal either.
The breakthrough, announced in the science journal Nature, by Dr Keith Campbell and a team at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, may pave the way to enormous benefits in easing food shortages and fighting disease. They managed to produce two identical sheep named Morag and Megan from seven ewes which were made pregnant, one with twins.
In Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World, genetically engineered people are graded into castes according to their intellectual ability. Prof Hopkinson takes such dangers seriously.
The Rev Dr John Polkinghorne, president of Queen's College, Cambridge, and chairman of the Church of England's science, medicine and technology committee, also voiced concern. But he remained hopeful that the discovery would not be used for evil.
"While I don't object to genetically engineered sheep, I would be totally ethically opposed to humans being cloned, and this development does bring the feasibility of that happening one step nearer," he said.