The ethics and business of cloning

Editor's note: China's Boya Biotech has announced that it will join hands with Sooam Biotech of the Republic of Korea to build the largest cloning facility in Tianjin. Their goal is to "produce" 1million cloned oxen every year, plus dogs and even some endangered species. According to some recent reports, Boya Biotech board chairman has said the company is "improving" the primate-cloning technology but it will not clone humans in deference to public sentiment. The opinions of two science writers on the subject follow:

Ethical concerns over cloned animals

Unlike natural reproduction, in which the newborn has the genes of both parents and thus can be different from both, cloned animals get their genes from only one and are therefore rather vulnerable.