04/20/06 Mule Clones

Some tribute to a pair of University of Idaho researchers. I'm Bill Scott and Line on Agriculture is next. Doctors Gordon Woods and Dirk Vanderwall will be honored this weekend in Nampa for their historic work that led to three cloned mules. The Idaho Horse Council calls the two University of Idaho veterinary researchers honorary legends. Woods says he and Vanderwall won by default. WOODS  "The legend they would have if they could would probably be Idaho Gem, the cloned mule but Dirk and I actually can be interviewed so they put him and I in there." Idaho Gem was the world's first, one of three mule clones born at the U of I. The second mule, Utah Pioneer who is now three years old will be on display at the Horse Expo in Nampa, Idaho this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. WOODS "It was exciting to use the advanced technology to produce the world's first equine clone. That was kind of a race in and of itself and that was fun." But there's a new race coming. This one is in Winnemucca, Nevada on June 3rd and 4th. That's when Idaho Gem and the third mule clone, Idaho Star, make their racing debuts. WOODS "I just expect them to perform as if they had not been cloned; I mean just as normal, healthy viable animals. From a health standpoint we have monitored both Idaho Gem and Idaho Star extremely closely. To be objective they've been boringly normal." It was the encouragement and money from Idaho mule racing owner Don Jacklin that led Woods, Vanderwall and others to pursue their research. For Woods the clone project goes far beyond an animal's athletic ability. He's looking at the human health aspects derived from the clone research, especially as it relates to cell activity and cell division. WOODS "Its just provided a powerful tool for us to go in and identify chemical explanations for why horses have a low incidence of diseases which humans have a real problem with in advanced stage, diseases like diabetes and some specific cancers like prostate cancer and breast cancer." The Northwest Equine Reproduction Laboratory at the University of Idaho has made the human health aspect the top priority of their research Line on Agriculture Bill Scott