South Korean cloning specialists, Sooam Biotech Research Foundation (Sooam BRF), and Chinese Biotech giant Boyalife Group have teamed up to build an industrial cloning plant in the recently demolished port-region of China’s Tianjin City.
The cloning project is a logical succession for Sooam BRF. The company has been developing cloning techniques since 2005, and specializes in the cloning of dogs.
Chief researcher Dr. Hwang Woo Suk has been working in the bio-industry since the 90s. In spite of a falling out with the South Korean government over misappropriations of funds pertaining to stem cell research in the early 2000s, his research has not hindered the development of his company in the hands of partners.
The plant in China plans to begin cloning cows and horses. The idea behind cloning livestock derives from a need to have a clear method of breeding prime cattle. The growing Chinese population could benefit from an increased source of beef, and Boyalife has plans to research the effectiveness of the process.
Although cloning has existed as a method of breeding since the birth of Dolly the sheep, there have been no large productions of large animals. While cloning factories do exist—with many found in South Korea—there are no factories aimed towards large livestock, like cows and horses.
The factory in Tianjin is currently under construction, though temporary offices have been built. In the temporary location, the joint venture experienced another breakthrough pertaining to the future of cloning. In October 2014, the company cloned not only the first puppies in China, but the first Tibetan Mastiffs.
Tibetan Mastiffs are a breed of ancient, aloof guard dogs so hallowed in China that owning the best specimens is an assertion of status almost without rival. A purebred puppy can sell for millions of dollars. Not only was the breeding of such significant puppies symbolic to the country, it also represented a beneficial merging of ideals for head staff at each company.
Since the new facility is still so heavily based on research, and has been funded by various Chinese institutes—namely, British Ke Boya Gene Technology (Tianjin) Co., Han Guo Xiu Rock Institute, Peking University, and the Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine and Life Science Institute.
In an Oct. 23, 2015 interview with Bloomberg Business, Dr. Hwang said that he imagines that the research facility will have the ability to explore the various biomedical applications of cloning and stem cells. “In China, we do things on a massive scale,” said Hwang. “But we want to do all this not just for profit, but also for history.”
Hwang has plans to clone the first giant panda, and will use DNA samples saved by the Chinese government since 2004. The government began storing samples for a number of species, in the event that cloning technology progressed further.
For now, Sooam Biotech will continue to clone dogs; they work with any client who has the money to pay the steep price of cloning.
Some clients are police services who want working dogs, but others are pet owners who simply want a beloved pet to be with them for a longer amount of time.