Instead of fusing two cells, they took nuclei out of the frozen cells and injected them directly into an enucleated egg. Researchers got around the problem of frozen cells by changing steps 3 and 4. Up until this new study, it has not been possible to fuse a beat up dead cell with an enucleated egg. The problem with a frozen animal cell is that it is dead and ice crystals have torn it apart.
Here's how cloning is usually done these days:ġ) Take a cell from the animal to be clonedĢ) Remove the nucleus from an egg (this is called an enucleated egg)ģ) Fuse the two cells and let the fused cell divide a few times in a Petri dishĤ) Implant the growing embryo into a surrogate motherĥ) If everything goes well, a clone is born This is why scientists need at the very least to have an intact nucleus to clone. Scientists don't yet have the skills to take 6 feet of DNA and properly place it into the tiny space of the nucleus. The DNA is stored and packaged there in a way that only Mother Nature can do (for now). The nucleus is where DNA is kept in cells. And ideally, an intact nucleus in an intact cell. Right now, scientists need an intact nucleus to clone an animal. The bits of DNA that scientists might get from dinosaur fossils are not good enough to make a dinosaur.
That is why Jurassic Park is so unlikely. Scientists need more than DNA to clone an animal.