Scientists Clone Frozen Mice

Japanese scientists have cloned mice from beyond the grave, the Guardian reports. After unfreezing dead mice that spent the last 16 years at -20C, the scientists nabbed brain DNA and injected it into eggs bereft of DNA, then used stem cells from the resulting embryos to grow four mouse clones. In addition to the breakthrough’s medical possibilities – scientists believe they may be able to clone brain tissue from white blood cells – the procedure may be able to resuscitate long-dead species. Dr. Teruhiko Wakayama, who led the scientific team, suggested that the technique could be applied to long-dead animals frozen in permafrost, such as the Wooly Mammoth. “It would be very difficult, but our work suggests it is no longer science fiction,” he said.