RE: Thylacine Cloning Press Release

["Williams, Tim" <TiJaWi@agron.iastate.edu>]

> Excuse the cross-posting. For those who were interested:

A related story from a Sydney newspaper:

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/05/28/1022569773166.html

And photos:

http://www.smh.com.au/photography/regular/national22/2002/05/28/index.html


> *All information strictly embargoed until 10.00AM, May 28, 2002
> 
> TASMANIAN TIGER CLONING BREAKTHROUGH
> 
> After more than two years of ongoing cloning research, the Australian
Museum
> has overcome a crucial obstacle in its continuing efforts to bring
back to
> life the
> extinct Tasmanian Tiger.
> 
> In May 2002 the Evolutionary Biology Unit at the Australian Museum in
Sydney
> successfully replicated individual Tasmanian Tiger genes using a
process
> known as PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction).  These new discoveries and
the
> story of the Museum's ongoing efforts have been exclusively documented
by
> the Discovery Channel in End of Extinction: Cloning the Tasmanian
Tiger,
> premiering in 155 countries world-wide, including Australia, on July 7
at
> 7.30pm.
> 
> The latest breakthrough in the cloning project and a preview of select
footage
> from Discovery Channel's film will be unveiled today at a Press
Conference
> from
> 9.30am, May 28th 2002 at the Royal Botanic Gardens Restaurant in
Sydney.
> 
> This remarkable journey which hopes to turn science fiction into
science fact
> began in 1999 when the Australian Museum embarked on a never before
> attempted project to bring back an extinct species.
> 
> The last known Tasmanian Tiger, or Thylacine, died in captivity in
1936, but a
> team of biologists believe the animal's extinction may simply be a
70-year
> hiccup.
> 
> In 1999 DNA was successfully extracted from an ethanol preserved
Tasmanian
> Tiger pup sample.  Additional DNA has been extracted from two other
individual
> pups in 2001.  These other tissue sources included bone, tooth, bone
marrow
> and dried muscle.
> 
> The most significant breakthrough to date has been the replication of
> individual
> Tasmanian Tiger genes using the PCR process. These PCR's show that
short
> fragments of the DNA are undamaged and undoubtedly Tasmanian Tiger
DNA,
> and that there is no reason why these should not work in a living
cell.
> 
> "The Australian Museum is absolutely delighted with yet another major
> breakthrough in the cloning project," said Professor Mike Archer,
Director of
> the
> Australian Museum.  "This technique was an extremely critical step in
> producing sufficient amounts of Tasmanian Tiger DNA to proceed with
the
> research and extremely good news for future steps in accomplishing
this
> project."
> 
> The next stage is to make large quantity copies of all the genes of
the
> Tasmanian Tiger so these can be used to construct synthetic
chromosomes.
> 
> "What Professor Mike Archer and his team are attempting is as
scientifically
> exciting and technically challenging as splitting the atom or landing
a man on
> the moon," said James Gibbons, Vice President Programming, Discovery
> Networks Asia.  "We are excited to capture this amazing story,
bringing the
> Tasmanian Tiger back to life on television screens around the world."
> 
> The groundbreaking Discovery Channel film traces the remarkable
efforts of
> scientists at the Australian Museum and features never before seen
footage of
> a Tasmanian Tiger as well as state-of-the-art computer generated
imagery (CGI)
> and animatronic technology.  The film also includes exclusive footage
of the
> extraction of Tasmanian Tiger tissue, the processing of the DNA and
the next
> steps of the genetic engineering which could make cloning the
Tasmanian Tiger
> a reality.
> 
> Press Conference: Enter the Royal Botanic Gardens via Henry Lawson
Gate,
> on Mrs Macquaries Road, follow signs to Palm Grove Centre.  High res
images
> and Electronic Press Kit available.
> 
> TO ATTEND THE PRESS CONFERENCE OR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
> CONTACT:
> Heidi DeWald, Australian Museum, 02 9320 6181 or 0419 376 736
> Karen Eck, eckfactor for Discovery Channel, 0438 532 569
> 
> ======================
> Guillaume Chapron
> PhD student
> Laboratoire d'Ecologie CNRS
> Ecole Normale Supérieure
> 46 rue d'Ulm, 75230 Paris Cedex 05
> France
> E: carnivorecology@ifrance.com
> 
> Visit the Carnivore Conservation Portal:
> http://www.carnivoreconservation.org
> ======================
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>
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