Welcome to the ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM Electronic Workshop, GENETIC MANIPULATION IN ANIMALS: ADVANCED TRANSGENESIS AND CLONING!

For the next five weeks, we should see a vigorous, informed, prospective look at advanced genetic technologies and how they might apply to the generation of animals with improved agricultural superiority or therapeutic potential. During the first two weeks (September 22 - October 5, 1998) twenty-two invited speakers will discuss their papers, posted to this web site. (This site will be "read only" for everyone except the authors.) Following this debate, the public is invited to participate during a three-week period (October 6 - 27, 1998) by posting messages to this site beginning October 6 at http://www.nist.gov/HyperNews/ATC25/get/dialog.html. Comments from both the authors' and public discussion will be summarized at least weekly in this space.

An outline of the proposed discussion can be found in the "Introduction" section of this website. The list of participants and their papers (i.e. the conversation itself) can be found in the "Participants" and "View Papers and Participants' Discussion" sections, respectively. Please note that only authors may "comment" using the links at the bottom of each paper.

Within the body of the discussion, the topics are diverse and the presentations cogent and concise. Most of the authors (BISHOP, BONDIOLI, COLMAN, FIRST, HAWLEY, PEDERSEN, ROBL, STICE, WESTHUSIN, and WILMUT) have chosen issues involving the efficiency of Nuclear Transfer protocols for cloning. In vitro maturation of Embryonic Stem (ES) cells is also a "hot topic" as presented by GENDRON, GOTTLIEB, MOUNTFORD, and SNODGRASS. PATI and PIEDRAHITA concentrate on improvements in homologous recombination techniques and new sources for ES cells, while HARVEY presents transgenic technology in poultry. Improved quality and availability of oocytes and embryos is discussed by YANG and YASWEN-CORKERY. The benefits of pursuing artificial chromosomes as a vehicle for adding to the genome is addressed by DRAYER and VOS. STOCK examines the prospects for human germline engineering.

Please utililize this forum as much as you like to make your voice heard. ATP funds technological advances for the benefit of U. S. companies and the Nation. We want to hear from you!