The researcher who cloned Dolly the sheep comes to Ireland next week to deliver the spring Science Today lecture sponsored by The Irish Times and the Royal Dublin Society.
Dr Ian Wilmut and colleagues at the Roslin Institute in Scotland made history in February 1997 when Dolly, the first mammal to have been cloned using only adult cells, was born. Since then Dolly has given birth to a daughter, Bonnie, and the Roslin team expects to announce the first cloned pig some time this month.
Dr Wilmut will be discussing his new book, co-written by Dr Keith Campbell and Dr Colin Tudge, which describes their ground-breaking cloning research. The Second Creation: Dolly and the Age of Biological Control details the international research which preceded Dolly's birth, starting with the work of George Mendel in the mid-19th century and on to the first cloned mice in the 1980s, and then how Dolly came to be.
The Science Today lectures are intended to promote a better public understanding of science. They bring the world's leading scientists to Ireland to explain their work and its place in international science.
The lecture will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 19th, at the RDS Concert Hall, Ballsbridge, Dublin. There will be no charge for Dr Wilmut's lecture, but as places are limited they must be booked. Contact Ms Carol Power, science development executive at the RDS, telephone number (01) 240-7217 or (01) 668-0866.