The Makings of a Creative Genius: Ian
Wilmut and the Cloning of Dolly
Lyndsey Burton
EDP 180 H
November 2001
Definitions of creativity vary based on different people’s
interpretations, yet most people agree that creative individuals produce new
ideas that can completely change or invent a domain. According to Howard Gardner, creativity is not limited to a
single domain, but is unique for all seven domains. Creativity is based on three core elements: the relationship
between the child and the master, the relationship between an individual and
the work in which he/she is engaged, and the relationship between the
individual and others, such as family and friends (Gardner, 9). I believe that Ian Wilmut is a creative
master in the logical mathematical domain because in July 1996, he completely
changed his field by successfully cloning the Finn Dorset lamb, Dolly, from an
adult cell. Since I am a pre-med
or pre-vet zoology major, Wilmut’s discovery has truly inspired me and has exposed
me to the endless possibilities in genetic engineering and medical
research. Ian Wilmut’s
controversial discovery stunned the world by proving that cloning from an adult
cell is possible and it opened doors to future cloning research. His dexterous discovery has shown
potential for human cloning and supports the fact that Ian Wilmut is a master
in the Logical-mathematical and Naturalist domain because of his scientific and
genetic impact on the world.
Ian
Wilmut’s discovery is so significant and undoubtedly warrants him as a master
in the scientific world as well as in the logical mathematical
intelligence. In order to clone
Dolly, Ian Wilmut invented an extremely complex process. Click here for a pictorial summary of the cloning
process. Prior to Wilmut’s
shocking revelation, most scientists were sure that successfully cloning an
adult cell into an embryo was not possible and many had given up trying to
prove this belief wrong. “To get a
cell from an adult mammal to behave like a cell from a developing embryo had
long since been abandoned at major centers of scientific research” (Healy,
176). The doubt of others didn’t
sway Wilmut’s ideas. He used a
method called somatic cell nuclear transfer cloning in order to produce
Dolly. This same technique has now
been used for application of human stem cells to generate differentiated
tissues (and this same technique could also be used to clone a human from an
adult cell). Click on this animation on somatic cell nuclear transfer. Wilmut first took a nucleus from the
mammary cells of a dead six-year-old Finn Dorset Sheep. He then substituted the nucleus for the
nucleus of an egg from a different sheep- a Poll Dorset. Next, Wilmut implanted the egg into an
ewe of a Scottish Blackface who became Dolly’s surrogate mother. Five months later, Dolly was born
(Wills, 22). Wilmut used three
different breeds of sheep so it would be apparent that Dolly’s genes did not
come from her surrogate mother nor the egg donor, but from the six year old,
Finn Dorset. In addition, in order
to account for problems such as cells being in the wrong stage, or having the
wrong set of genes turned on, or having cells that are too metabolically
active, Wilmut starved the cells for several days. He then fused the starved cell with enucleated eggs. This made the DNA copying device in the
cell to stop by “arresting the cell cycle and forcing the cells into a
metabolic torpor that presumably matched the quiescence of an unfertilized egg”
(Wills, 22). Since Dolly’s DNA
matches the DNA of the dead, six year old sheep’s mammary cells, Dolly is the
first clone of an adult mammal. In
less complex terms, the cells used to create Dolly originated from a dead,
six-year-old sheep’s udder cell.
Scientists took the cell and transferred its nucleus into an empty egg
from a different sheep. Next, the
resulting embryo was implanted into a surrogate female sheep. Five months later, the surrogate mother
gave birth to Dolly-- the first clone from an adult sheep (Newman, Internet).
Before
the birth of Dolly, cloning was performed using various methods and it was not
until the discovery of Megan and Morag in August of 1995, that scientists saw
new possibilities in the field of cloning. Keith H.S. Campbell, a geneticist at the Roslin Institute,
cloned Megan and Morag. They were
cloned through a process called nuclear transfer and grew from two different
egg cells. These egg cells
contained genetic material from a single embryo. To perform nuclear transfer, a scientist takes an embryo and
lets the cells divide in cultures.
Then, the cells are replaced with identical genetic material in
unfertilized eggs. The eggs are
then implanted back into the ewe (“Identical Sheep Cloned”, 253). Wilmut expanded upon Campbell’s cloning
procedure by cloning from adult cells instead of embryonic cells. When Dolly was born, scientists were
astounded by Wilmut’s technical achievement. “It had been assumed that adult cells lost their
‘totipotency,’ the ability to give rise to a viable, fertile organism” (Wills,
22). Because adult cells are specialized,
scientists worldwide believed that the specialization of the cells was an irreversible
process. They were wrong. Wilmut proved that, “at least some
mammary cells in sheep retain their youthful plasticity—they just need to have
it restored somehow (Wills, 22).
Wilmut’s
discovery opened countless minds to the endless possibilities of cloning. Cloning from adult cells, which before
was considered impossible, is now successful and has shown potential for many
opportunities. Cloned cells could
be used to repair damaged cells in patients with Parkinson’s and Diabetes. Wilmut’s techniques can be used to
create differentiated tissues and even regenerate organs for transplant. Ian Wilmut’s discovery also showed that
tissues could be created using adult cells and therefore, there would be a
reduced chance of organ rejection for transplants by using the donors own stem
cells to create the needed, differentiated tissues. Also, Wilmut’s discovery shows potential for using adult
cells for stem cell research rather than raising embryos whose sole purpose is
to provide stem cells for research.
Biotechnology companies and the biomedical community were very enthused
about Wilmut’s discovery. Cloning
adult animals could benefit everyone through factory farming for food and
breeding for medical experiments (Wills, 22-23). Wilmut’s discovery provides advantages such as quality
control. Champion farm animals
could be genetically cloned and farming could be more productive. For example, PPL Therapeutics is financing
Wilmut’s research for cloning sheep or cows that produce milk with a crucial
human protein. Cloning could
change medicine by initiating new therapies, research, cloning humans and
animals for organs, and finding solutions to infertility. Although Wilmut’s original intentions
were to use his cloning technology in order to benefit farmers, the
possibilities associated with his project are endless. Suppose an infertile couple wanted a
child. Through cloning, they could
choose desired traits and create a “dream child”. This topic leads to the controversial topic of human
cloning. Many people argue that
human cloning would improve medicine, help psychologists in the study of human
behavior, and solve the solution of infertility. In just the 4 years proceeding Wilmut’s discovery, the world
of genetics and stem cell research has completely changed by proving that
cloning is possible and giving scientists so many outlets for future
research.
Just
like the other seven masters of their domain, Ian Wilmut is talented in several
domains. Out of the seven domains,
his strongest domain would be the Logical-mathematical intelligence because of
his work in genetics and embryology.
Wilmut’s advanced problem solving skills and perfected laboratory
techniques make him stand out in the Logical-mathematical intelligence. I also believe that Wilmut is a master
in the Naturalist domain. This
intelligence is less recognized than the seven more common intelligences
(Logical-mathematical, Visual/Spatial, Musical, Verbal-Linguistic,
Bodily-kinesthetic, Interpersonal, and Intra-personal), yet is very significant
to discoveries in the natural sciences.
The Logical-mathematical and Naturalist intelligence seem to be linked
in for many scientific breakthroughs.
Perhaps the most notable and earth shattering discoverers have utilized
these two domains simultaneously and it seems the Naturalist intelligence and
the Logical-mathematical intelligence are necessary for success in most
scientific fields. Without
exceptional Logical skills, a scientist could not prove creative breakthroughs
or develop experiments to test hypothesizes in the biological or Naturalist
domain. Vice versa, a scientist
solely talented in the Logical-mathematical domain would be lacking necessary
skills to relate experiments to mammals or a field such as medicine without
being talented in the Naturalist domain.
In addition to his main intelligences in the Logical-mathematical and
Naturalist domain, Wilmut also possesses strengths in the Interpersonal,
Intra-personal, and Verbal-Linguistic domain. A strong Interpersonal intelligence has helped Wilmut to
develop skills in communication and leadership with others. He was able to convince people to
listen to his ideas and gained respect from both the scientific and worldwide
community. Wilmut is also
extremely talented in the Intra-personal domain because he continued his
research with little extrinsic motivation. Even after conducting research for years without a
significant breakthrough, Wilmut persevered and his motivation and work ethic
helped him to clone Dolly from adult cells. Also, apparent through his interviews, press releases, and
published journal articles, Wilmut is also talented in the Verbal-linguistic
intelligence. Wilmut does enjoy
walks and curling, so he utilizes his Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, but it
is not as accomplished as many of his other intelligences. As far as weaknesses, there is little
reference to Wilmut’s interest in music or religion, so possibly Musical and
Existential Intelligences are not his strength. Like Charles Darwin, a master of the Naturalist intelligence
and evolutionary genius, Ian Wilmut has made significant contributions in to
biology changed the way the world thought about embryology and biology. Both men opened new doors to scientific
research and their breakthroughs made huge impacts on the way organisms and
species develop through time.
According
to Howard Gardner, “all creative activity grows, first, out of the
relationships between an individual and the objective world of work and,
second, out of the ties between an individual and other human beings” (Gardner,
9).
Relations
between child and adult creator:
Ian Wilmut was born in Hampton Lucey, England and grew up
exposed to agriculture. Since he
did not want to be stuck working in a building, Wilmut dreamed of being a
sailor as a child, but this aspiration failed since he is color blind. Then Wilmut decided to be a farmer
since he loved animals. After he
decided that he would not be a good farmer, Wilmut began to work in the lab as
an undergraduate student. There is
little information available on Wilmut’s childhood since he did not enter his
domain until his college years.
This is similar to Martha Graham as well, since she did not decide to
pursue a career as a dancer until she was in her twenties. Once Wilmut began his research at the
Roslin Institute in 1974, he did work with genetic engineering. It was not until the mid 1980s when he
began research with cloning. Ten
years later, Wilmut successfully created Dolly, the first clone from adult
cells. This ten-year period from
the time of entering a domain until becoming a master is a crucial component of
Gardner’s model. “At least ten
years of steady work at a discipline or craft seem required before that métier
has been mastered. The capacity to
take a creative turn requires just such mastery, and accordingly, significant
breakthroughs can rarely be documented before a decade of sustained activity
has been accomplished” (Gardner, 32).
Ian Wilmut’s motivation for his discovery was mostly
intrinsic. Wilmut pursued the
field of embryology and cloning simply because he enjoyed it. He was immediately successful and even
as an undergraduate, was explaining life cycles to others. Wilmut is extremely humble about his
discovery. Like Einstein and his
search for answers to relativity, there were many other scientists performing
cloning research. When asked about
his discovery, Wilmut replied, “It is serendipity. About three or four people were working on the same
thing. I just happened to be
lucky” (Bond, 4). Wilmut also
remarked, “It is hard to get used to being put in a class of Oppenheimer
[directed the development of the atomic bomb]… I think I am more important than
immunologists and anesthesiologists, but less so than Watson and Crick, who in
discovering DNA made the most important scientific breakthrough of the
century. I also think we had a lot
of luck. Serendipity is always a
part of science” (Bond, 5). A
chief executive of Pharmaceutical Proteins Ltd., Dr. Ron James, describes
Wilmut as careful, diligent, honest, and thoughtful (Ibrahim, 2). As far as extrinsic motivation, Wilmut
hopes to use cloning technology to produce farm animals that manufacture human
proteins and to help find cures for genetic diseases.
Relations
between creator and others:
While completing his undergraduate work at
the University of Nottingham, Wilmut was exposed to the field of embryology by
his mentor G. Eric Lamming.
Lamming was a renowned expert in reproduction and after introducing Wilmut
to his field, Wilmut knew that genetic engineering of animals was his quest in
life (Ibrahim, 2). Another
important colleague and supporter in Wilmut’s life is cell biologist Keith
Campbell. Campbell assisted Wilmut
to clone the lambs, Megan and Morag from differentiated embryo cells. Just as Picasso, Gandhi, and Stravinsky
utilized support from one close friend, Wilmut relied on Campbell and together
they invented the technique of starving cells before nuclear transfer. The two men continue to support each
other and worked together to clone Dolly from adult cells. They have continued their studies of
genetics and have now cloned a sheep from fetal skin cells altered to contain a
human gene (“The Details”). In
addition to support from his mentor and Campbell, Ian is currently married to a
loving wife and has three children, Helen, Naomi, and Dean. He and his family lead a quiet life
living in the Scottish countryside and still enjoy simple pleasures such as
gardening, long walks, and the sport of curling.
Since numerous people believe that cloning
is too controversial, Wilmut’s creativity is limited by political and ethical
constraints. Churches worldwide
are banning cloning by saying that it is like playing God. They feel that humans should leave the
topic alone. Other people agree
with scientist Richard Seed, who believes that cloning is, “the first serious
step toward becoming one with God (Healy, 176). Not only did religious groups ban human cloning, but
also 19 European countries and many US States. Former President Clinton stated that, “Each human life is
unique, born of a miracle that reaches beyond laboratory science. I believe that we must respect this
profound gift and resist the temptation to replicate ourselves” (Congressional
Digest, 37). Not only is current President Bush against
human cloning, but also Wilmut himself believes that cloning a human would not
be in the best interest of the child.
“Wilmut speaks passionately of honoring the individuality of the child.
‘Human cloning, he says, should be banned’ (Healy, 176). In an interview with psychologist Alma
Bond, Wilmut stated,
I believe what is extraordinary about
me is the way I’ve coped in the last few years with having to be the
mouthpiece, one of the very few people who started to talk to very small
audiences about cloning. It’s hard
work and required total concentration.
Not everybody is very keen on the idea of cloning. It subjects one to a greater or lesser
degree of violence. In the United
States, I risk being shot at by the Right to Life people, and the animal
activists. It makes for a
conflict, for I feel I have a public responsibility to inform (Bond, 4).
Cloning is also controversial in the
political aspect. In August, the
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) met to discuss the issue of human cloning and
soon they will give legislators recommendations on how to regulate human
cloning. Recently in Congress, the
House voted to criminalize human cloning, but many scientists protested. They disagree with the House “since it also outlaws therapeutic cloning, which
doesn't create people but rather generates human cells that could grow into
replacement tissues” (Travis, 1).
Although cloning may become illegal in
the United States, it is still legal in many other countries such as
Sweden. Also, political restrictions
do not stop some scientists such as Severino Antinori and physiologist
Panayiotis Michael Zabos who announced their collaboration to clone
humans. With all of the ethically,
moral, and political controversy associated with cloning, “A moratorium or an
outright ban on human cloning seems likely, and several countries have already
asked the United Nations to pass such a restriction” (Travis, 6).
In addition to political and ethical constraints,
there are other disadvantages cloning such as low success
rates. “30 to 50% of cloned calves
die shortly before and immediately after birth” (“Good-bye, Dolly?”, 10). Jean-Paul Revard from the National
Institute in Jouy-en-Josas said, “If we want to apply this technique [cloning
from adult cells] outside of research, such a high rate of mortality will not
be acceptable (“Good-bye Dolly?”, 10).
Another disadvantage is that cloning from adult cells is extremely
complicated and not fully understood yet.
“Typically the nucleus of the donor cell, whether fetal or full grown,
is transferred to an unfertilized egg from which the nucleus has been
removed. In mysterious ways
scientists still do not understand, something in the cytoplasm of the egg
appears to reset the donor cell’s DNA.
That resetting, it has been clear from the beginning, works much less
reliably when adult cells are used, even when they are relatively immature
fibroblast cells” (Nash, 65).
Also, applying Wilmut’s cloning techniques for Dolly to human cloning is
another confusing issue at the present time. “Investigators report that the gene for IGF2R is not
imprinted in primates, even though it is in rodents, pigs, sheep, and other
animals that researchers have cloned. So, people have two active copies of this
growth-suppressing gene instead of just one” (Travis, 5). Although
Wilmut has a few obstacles to overcome, his scientific breakthrough has created
countless opportunities for scientific research and future experiments.
Ian Wilmut has received numerous awards
and is highly regarded by top scientists worldwide for his significant
contributions in cloning and embryology.
Wilmut has received several prestigious awards such as “The Sir William
Young Award for 1999 - from the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of
Scotland - for ‘an outstanding contribution to livestock breeding in Scotland’
and The Royal Agricultural Society of England Research Medal for 1999 – ‘for
his contribution over 30 years to farm animal reproductive biology and
embryology research’”(BBSRC). The
Roslin Institute bragged about their famous professor by stating,
Success with
nuclear transfer has been recognized by a steady stream of honours for
Professor Ian Wilmut (mailto:ian.wilmut@bbsrc.ac.uk). In the last 12 months he was awarded an
OBE in the Queen's 1999 Birthday Honours List, the Research Medal from the
Royal Agricultural Society of England, the Sir William Young Award from the
Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, the Fellowship of the
Academy of Medical Sciences and an honorary DSC from North Eastern University
in Boston (Roslin Institute).
Obviously Ian Wilmut is regarded very
highly in both the scientific community and throughout the world for his
revolutionary discoveries of cloning.
Relations between creator and his work:
After being exposed to the field of
embryology by Lamming, Wilmut “became enchanted by the magical progression of
embryos from amorphous balls of cells into living entities of exquisite
complexity” (Nash, 1). After
receiving his doctoral degree at Darwin College, Ian went to Scotland and
joined the Animal Breeding Research Station, which eventually became the Roslin Institute. Ian studied animal husbandry and human
nutrition and health. He began to
experiment with cloning with the vision of creating genetically engineered farm
animals that could produce therapeutic proteins in their milk (Nash, 2). While working to create these farm
animals, Wilmut performed numerous experiments at the rural and isolated Roslin
Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland.
When he heard that scientist Steen Willadsen cloned cattle from
differentiated embryo cells, Wilmut focused his research on cloning in the mid
1980’s. Then one of his
experiments- the cloning of Dolly- changed scientist's beliefs worldwide and
changed Wilmut’s life forever. No
one expected this quiet, British embryologist to prove a former impossibility,
but Wilmut did so and shocked everyone.
Wilmut considers his job a joy and works in the lab while also juggling
his public life. “My function is
to provide an environment, money, and equipment to develop an initial
scientific idea. It leads to many things without completely breaking away from
the lab. There are my mascot functions, public lectures, TV interviews, and
reports to congress. I do one interview a week and travel a lot, which is a
mixed blessing” (Bond, 4).
Wilmut’s
discovery made such a huge impact across the world that his name is notorious
with Dolly—the first mammal successfully cloned from adult cells. In the past, many scientists have made
shocking discoveries that were just too early for their time. People were too skeptical and refused
to accept the new idea brought forth.
In Wilmut’s case, his amazing revelation not only created a buzz around
the world, but also changed the fields of biology and embryology and opened
endless possibilities for the futures of genetics, medicine, and all other
sciences. Wilmut follows Gardner’s
model of a creative genius in nearly every aspect. Ian Wilmut grew up with much freedom to choose a career, and
once he was exposed to embryology, he knew it was his life’s calling. Wilmut shares many traits of creative
masters such as dedication, persistence, and a love of his work. Wilmut researched for nearly ten years
with cloning before he made the shocking discovery of cloning from adult
cells. Like all other creative
genius’s, Wilmut had mentors in his field and had continued support from his
colleague, Campbell. He also had
competition from other scientists attempting to clone from adult cells and
after his discovery, had a mixture of supporters and also rivals and
critics. Wilmut has shown the
determination of a creative master by continuing his research to help the
greater cause of discovering cures for diseases even with many critics and much
political controversy. Like the
seven creators discusses in Creating Minds, Wilmut is strong not only in his domain, but also in the
Interpersonal, Intra-personal, and Verbal-linguistic intelligence. The majority of Ian’s motivation came
from internal drives and curiosity and interest in embryology and cloning. While working toward his discovery of
cloning, Wilmut performed countless experiments and formed relationships and
perfected his cloning techniques.
Ian’s ten years of cloning experiments set the stage for his revelation
that changed the world of science. Because Wilmut was the first person in the
world to discover this scientific breakthrough and prove that he successfully
cloned the first adult mammal from adult cells, Wilmut is a master in both the
Naturalist and Logical-mathematical intelligences.
Work Cited
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22 Nov. 2001 www.humancloning.org/discussion/posts/116.html
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Dolly?” Discover. Aug.
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Breaking the Clone Barrier.” Time 29 Mar 1999: 176.
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“Dolly’s False Legacy.” Time. 11 Jan. 1999:74-77.