Gotta love the internet. Earlier in the week, Clonaid’s South Korea office announced they’d made a Korean woman pregnant with an embryo clone. A few short emails later, they’d agreed to let me download a review copy of their revolutionary medical software Cloner 2.0 ( available for mac and PC at www.clonaid.com ).
What is Human Cloning?
Human cloning is a type of genetic engineering, but is not the same as true genetic manipulation. In human cloning, the aim is to duplicate the genes of an existing person so that an identical set is inside a human egg. The result is intended to be a cloned twin, perhaps of a dead child. Genetic engineering in its fullest form would result in the child produced having unique genes – as a result of laboratory interference, and therefore the child will not be an identikit twin.
Getting Started:
At the time of testing, Cloner v2.0 can only duplicate males. The procedure is fairly simple. Using an advanced South Korean set of algorithms and at least a 40XCD reader, this software allows the user to deposit a sperm sample on a CD, which is then inserted into the CD player for the computer. The software analyses this sample, and then, left to render overnight ( on a g3 / 333 mhz machine ), provides a customised set of genetic information related to the person sampled.
A cable internet connection is then preferred ( don’t want any errors during a transmission like this), but even using a 56k modem, I was able to match up my information with the Clonaid Online Database over a matter of hours. During this process, the software cross-matched my information with their Genomic Sequence Writer technology, and produced a template ready for ‘printing’. For a fee ( yet to be decided on ), future users will be able to have Clonaid duplicate their genes, insert these into a human egg and courier mail to their home.
Features:
Cloner v2.0 has a simple, very intuitive interface which requires little knowledge of medicine or advanced science. Given the complex tasks at hand, the software performs very well on mid-range computers, though a good CD reading speed is essential. Browsing through the menu columns revealed a wide variety of variables and plug-ins, though with nothing as simple as ‘height’ or ‘skin-colour’ available. Future releases promise easier adjustable and capacities to draw on genetic information from other species.
Cloner v2.0 & the Human Genome Project
Not to be confused with the Dog Genome Project ( http://mendel.berkeley.edu/dog.html ), the Human Genome Project is the race by biotechnology firms around the world to map out the entire set of human genes. Cloner v2.0 connects to this database, and future versions will potentially be able to draw on features from different races around the world to customise your clone.
What You’ll Need:
$US 2500
Mac: g3/333 min, g4/500 preferred, 256mb ram
PC: Pentium II 600mhz or any intel clone, 256 mb ram.
A suitable genetic profile. ( a small percentage of tests so far are incompatible for reproduction )
Pros:
– Incredible value, compared to IVF programs and black market cloning.
– Farmers of headless foetuses will love Cloner 2.0’s abilities to quickly and easily make ‘spare parts and organs’ clones.
Cons:
– Can only duplicate males so far.
– Could be used to try and develop a super-race of ‘perfect’ humans.
Further reading:
The Centre for Bioethics and Human Dignity –
Human Cloning Foundation
Human Cloning, The How to Page