SKorea cloning experts plan production-line pups

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2007

SEOUL (AFP) — South Korean scientists are to clone drug-sniffing dogs for the country's customs service in the world's first commercial canine cloning deal, officials and reports said Tuesday.

"We signed a memorandum of understanding with a team of researchers at Seoul National University last month to produce cloned drug-sniffing dogs," a customs spokesman told AFP.

He declined to elaborate on the terms of the contract.

Senior researcher Kim Min-Kyu said his team had already obtained somatic cells from drug-sniffing dogs to start cloning them in July or August, with a view to obtaining puppies late this year at the earliest.

"In the near future, we plan to establish an animal cloning centre at Seoul National University to clone precious dogs such as...