St-Hyacinthe, September 20, 2000 - L'Alliance Boviteq inc., an embryo transfer and research centre supported by The Semex Alliance, has successfully cloned one of the most famous bulls in the Holstein breed, namely HANOVERHILL STARBUCK. The cloned calf was born on September 7th, 21 years and 5 months after Starbuck's own birth date. He weighed 54.2 kg at birth and showed the same vital signs as calves produced from regular A.I. or E. T. Starbuck's clone was produced for the Centre d'Insémination Artificielle du Québec (CIAQ) who will take possession of the young bull soon.

The development of Starbuck's clone was a joint effort between the researchers, headed by Dr Lawrence Smith, at the Centre for Research in Animal Reproduction (CRRA) at the Veterinary Faculty in St-Hyacinthe and researchers, headed by Dr Daniel Bousquet, at L'Alliance Boviteq inc. Prior to Starbuck's death on September 17, 1998, Dr Bousquet and his laboratory staff collected and preserved samples of his body cells. In Canada, this is the first successful cloning of an adult animal using somatic cells; epithelial (skin) cells were used. Cloning of adult animals in the bovine species has only recently been reported in New Zealand, Italy, Japan and the United States.

Using nuclear transfer technology several viable embryos were produced in CRRA's laboratory and they were transferred into recipients housed at L'Alliance Boviteq by Dr Jean Durocher's team. These transfers resulted in 6 pregnancies at 60 days but only 1 pregnancy went to term resulting in the birth of Starbuck's clone on September 7, 2000.

During the last several years, L'Alliance Boviteq inc. and its predecessor, BOVITEQ, have conducted an active research and development program in new technologies in bovine reproduction in order to provide the cattle breeding industry with the tools needed to produce superior genetics. Accomplishments by its research team such as embryo sexing, freezing of sexed embryos and the production of embryos using in-vitro fertilisation are some examples of its competence in this area. The recent success in cloning is further evidence of L'Alliance Boviteq's capabilities to offer the dairy cattle breeding industry one more opportunity for genetic improvement.

"Cloning animals in this manner represents important economic benefits because now cows and bulls that are proven to be superior in the dairy or beef industry can be duplicated. It is of real significance to the artificial insemination industry that can have proven bulls whose semen is in short supply or who may have had an accident and can no longer produce semen," says Wilfried Holtmann, General Manager of L'Alliance Boviteq.

For more information please contact:
Dr Daniel Bousquet or Dr Wilfried Holtmann

L'Alliance Boviteq inc.
1425 Grand Rang St-François
St-Hyacinthe, Qc J2S 7A9
Telephone: 450-774-7949
Fax: 450-774-1740
bovi@boviteq.com