First cloned buffalo calf in India dies of lung infection

The world's first genetically engineered 'buffalo' calf, said to have been cloned by scientists at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) in Karnal, Haryana, died of pneumonia.

The female buffalo calf died at the NDRI centre, 150 km from the national capital, on 11 February, five days after it was born, scientists said.

The institute announced this morning that the cloning was done on the high-yielding 'Murrah' buffalo, but did not mention that the calf had died last night.

Scientists said the infection was caused due to complications at the time of delivery, but said the cloning technique was not faulty.

Despite the setback, scientists at the NDRI claim to have succeeded in testing a technology superior to the one used for cloning the first sheep, `Dolly.'

They say, they used a simpler but advanced version of a technique employed in producing 'Dolly', which was cloned from an adult cell in 1996. The sheep died of lung disease at the age of 7, in 2003.

The NDRI scientists said they have used a 'handguided cloning technique' perfected by them, which would allow production of calf of the desired sex.

''The buffalo was cloned and was born on 6 February. It died last night. But the good thing is that we used a superior technology for the cloning and it was tested," a report quoted scientist SK Singla as saying.

The institute is in the process of producing two more clones with cell taken from female buffaloes and the delivery is set for May and June.