“I’venevermetahumanworthcloning”sayscloningexpertMarkWesthusinfromhislabatTexasA&MUniversity.“It’sastupidendeavor.”That’saninterestingchoiceofadjectivecomingfromamanwhohasspentmillionsof

　　“I’venevermetahumanworthcloning”sayscloningexpertMarkWesthusinfromhislabatTexasA&MUniversity.“It’sastupidendeavor.”

　　That’saninterestingchoiceofadjectivecomingfromamanwhohasspentmillionsofdollarstryingtoclonea13-year-olddognamedMissy.Sofarheandhisteamhavenotsucceededthoughtheyhaveclonedtwocowsandacat.

　　TheyjustmightsucceedincloningMissysoon—orperhapsnotforanotherfiveyears.

　　Westhusin'sexperiencewithcloninganimalsleaveshimupsetbyallthistalkofhumancloning.InthreeyearsofworkontheMissyprojectusinghundredsuponhundredsofdog'seggstheA&MteamhasproducedonlyadozenorsoembryoscarryingMissy'sDNA.Nonehavesurvivedthetransfertoasurrogate（代孕的）mother.Thewastageofeggsandthemanyspontaneouslyaborted(流产，发育不全)fetuses（胎）maybeacceptablewhenyou'redealingwithcatsorbullshearguesbutnotwithhumans.“Cloningisincrediblyinefficientandalsodangerous”hesays.

　　Evensodogcloningisacommercialopportunitywithaniceresearchpayoff.EversinceDollythesheepwasclonedin1996Westhusin'sphonehasbeenringingwithpeoplecallinginhopesofduplicatingtheircatsanddogscattleandhorses.“Alotofpeoplewanttoclonepetsespeciallyifthepriceisright”saysWesthusin.CostisnoobstacleforMissy'smysteriousbillionaireowner;he'sputup$3.7millionsofartofundA&M'sresearch.

　　ContrarytosomemediareportsMissyisnotdead.TheownerwantsatwintocarryonMissy'sfinequalitiesaftershedoesdie.Theprototype（原型；雏形）isbyallaccountsathleticgood-naturedandsuper-smart.Missy'smasterdoesnotexpectanexactcopyofher.Heknowsherclonemaynothavehertemperament（气质、性情）.InastatementofpurposeMissy'sownerandtheA&Mteamsaytheyare“bothlookingforwardtostudyingthewaysthatherclonesdifferfromMissy.”

　　Besidescloningagreatdogtheprojectmaycontributeinsightintotheoldquestionofnaturevs.nurture.Itcouldalsoleadtothecloningofspecialrescuedogsandmanyendangeredanimals.

　　HoweverWesthusiniscautiousabouthiswork.Heknowsthatevenifhegetsadogpregnanttheoffspringshouldtheysurvivewillfacetheproblemsshownatbirthbyotherclonedanimals:abnormalities