Cloning camels in UAE: How biotechnology safeguards heritage and strengthens food security
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)Camels, the ships of the desert, hold deep historical and cultural significance in the UAE — and preserving the finest of these animals for future generations has become a key mission for a leading biotechnology centre in the country. The Reproductive Biotechnology Centre in Dubai gained international acclaim in 2009, when it produced the world's first cloned camel, named "Injaz". Since then, numerous camels have been cloned, helping preserve the lineage of the most elite breeds.Speaking to Aletihad, Dr. Nisar Ahmad Wani, the centre's scientific director, explained the long-term impact of cloning these prized camels. 'By harvesting cells from an elite animal, even after death, we can preserve its genetics indefinitely. These cells are stored in our cell bank and can be used years later to recreate that exact animal,' he said. It's not just about replicating elite camels, Dr. Wani said, 'this technique could also support conservation efforts for endangered species, such as the Bactrian camel'.'We can use dromedaries as surrogate mothers to reproduce Bactrians or insert or delete genes to create genetically modified camels for specific traits,' he said. This technique could also help in the production of genetically modified camels either by insertion or by deletion of some genes in donor cells, Dr. Wani added. In a previous report, another expert highlighted the sentimental value that has been attached to cloning procedures. 'Owners often have a strong emotional bond with their camels, and cloning strengthens these bonds by keeping their beloved mounts close at hand,' Khalifa Al Nuaimi, CEO of the Advanced Scientific Group, said in a recent Aletihad report.
The Perfect Desert CompanionsIn terms of genetics, camels are the most ideal desert companions, Dr. Wani said. 'Camels are unique animals that have adapted to survive in harsh agroclimatic conditions,' he said. 'They can thrive on food and water sources that other livestock cannot. Their phenotype — with specialised lips, long eyelashes, and padded feet — is perfectly suited to desert life.'Camels conserve water efficiently, produce concentrated urine, and have physiological traits that enable them to cope with extreme heat and dust storms, making them ideal livestock for arid climates like the conditions in the UAE, Dr. Wani said. 'Camels are fundamental to food security and sustainable agriculture in dry regions,' he emphasised. 'They provide milk, meat, wool, leather, and transport, especially in the UAE's desert ecosystem.'Dr. Wani also noted the growing economic impact of camel racing, milk production, and beauty contests, which have become multimillion-dollar industries. 'Camels are part of the UAE's cultural heritage, but they are also a reliable, climate-resilient resource for future food systems,' he added. Like any species, however, camels vary genetically. Some possess the DNA of champion racers, while others stand out in beauty contests. Certain camels produce higher volumes of milk, making them highly prized in the dairy industry.
Cloning Techniques At the Reproductive Biotechnology Centre, advanced techniques such as Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), commonly known as cloning, and Multiple Ovulation and Embryo Transfer (MOET) are employed to enhance camel production.'With MOET, we can obtain multiple offspring from elite females in one breeding season. Embryos are flushed from a donor and transferred to synchronised surrogate camels,' Dr. Wani explained. 'In SCNT, we use a donor camel's cells, often stored in our cell bank, to produce embryos in the lab. These embryos are then transferred to surrogate mothers. The resulting calves are exact genetic copies of the donor, whether it is a racing male, beauty queen, or high-producing dairy female.'The centre also offers in vitro embryo production, gene banking, natural selection breeding, and the continuous treatment of infertile camels using ultrasound-guided monitoring and hormone therapies. 'Even animals that cannot breed naturally due to injury or age can still produce offspring,' Dr. Wani said. Looking ahead, the expert sees camel science evolving and making more meaningful impact across sectors.
'Selective breeding and assisted reproductive technologies should focus on producing disease-resistant camels and multiplying genetically superior animals to improve the economics for farmers,' Dr. Wani said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
2 days ago
- Al Etihad
Applications now open for 10-week training on space missions, satellites
10 Aug 2025 22:08 SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)Applications are now open for the second cohort of the Space Mission and Satellite Engineering (SMSE) Programme, the UAE Space Agency announced. Delivered in collaboration with EDGE Group's FADA, the 10-week training initiative invites aspiring Emirati space professionals to deepen their technical expertise and help shape the future of the UAE's growing space the SMSE Programme, the UAE Space Agency and its partners seek to build the next generation of satellite engineers, system architects, and space mission be eligible, applicants must be Emirati nationals and hold a bachelor's degree or higher in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics). It is ideal for early-career engineers and researchers in government, private or academic institutions, or current and future entrepreneurs interested in satellite engineering and space programme will take place three days a week (Tuesday–Thursday), 9am to 4pm, starting September 16 until November will be trained through a mixture of classroom-style learning with online interactive sessions, coupled with field visits and networking curriculum will include critical topics such as designing space missions, operationalising a mission, applied space systems engineering approaches, and system verification and part of the programme's Central Case Project (CCP), participants will apply their newly acquired skills to design and implement a real-world satellite project. By the end of the training, they are also expected to have strengthened their space technology capabilities and expanded their professional network through interactions with industry experts during lectures. Applications are open until August 25; however, spots are limited, the UAE Space Agency said.
Al Etihad
5 days ago
- Al Etihad
TII, Quantinuum partner to advance next-generation quantum computing development
7 Aug 2025 11:13 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)The Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research arm of Abu Dhabi's Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), has announced a strategic agreement with Quantinuum, a world leader in quantum computing, to accelerate the development and benchmarking of next-generation quantum computing algorithms and commercial applications in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).The agreement grants TII's researchers access to Quantinuum's quantum computing systems, which are recognised for having high operational fidelity. This includes access to Helios, the company's upcoming next-generation system, which is expected to demonstrate improvements in gate fidelity and qubit connectivity. This expands TII's diverse ecosystem of partner platforms, which includes in-house developed superconducting quantum chips, IonQ's trapped-ion processors, and access via AWS Braket to devices from QUERA, Rigetti, and IQM, among strategic agreement enables TII to combine state-of-the-art quantum computing systems and research efforts to develop better quantum algorithms, marking an important step in strengthening the UAE's growing position as a global leader in science and technology. Focused on advancing quantum computing applications across diverse domains of regional and global significance, the partnership's key research areas include: - Chemistry and Materials Science: Estimating quantum system properties, such as ground-state energy, for advancements in chemistry and materials, and simulating complex many-body quantum systems, such as superconductors.- Classical-to-Quantum Data Integration: Identifying efficient methods to encode classical data into quantum states, such as for image processing and data throughput.- Complex Optimisation Problems: Combining Quantinuum's industry-leading fidelity with TII's advanced algorithmic techniques for solving large combinatorial optimisation problems using very few collaboration is also pivotal in training the next generation of quantum algorithm developers, equipping the UAE and the broader region to harness emerging quantum technologies effectively."The agreement with Quantinuum represents a significant step forward in our mission to advance quantum research," said Dr. Leandro Aolita, Chief Researcher of TII's Quantum Research Centre. "With access to cutting-edge quantum hardware like Helios, we remain at the forefront of quantum research and innovation, further solidifying the UAE's status as a leading technology and innovation hub." "Quantinuum's partnership with TII marks a powerful alignment of vision and capability," said Dr. Avinash 'Nash' Palaniswamy, Chief Commercial Officer at Quantinuum. "We remain deeply committed to fostering strong partnerships across the region, uniting quantum computing trailblazers with our best-in-class systems to anchor global ecosystems, accelerate research and development, and unlock transformative value for users." Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
Al Etihad
6 days ago
- Al Etihad
Harvard research on reversing Alzheimer's reveals lithium as potential key
6 Aug 2025 22:51 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)A decade of investigation by scientists at Harvard Medical School have revealed that the loss of the metal lithium plays a powerful role in Alzheimer's disease, a finding that could lead to earlier detection and new treatments for the disease that affects memory and cognitive led by Bruce A. Yankner, professor of genetics and neurology at Harvard Medical School, reported that they were able to reverse the disease in mice and restore brain function with small amounts of the compound lithium orotate, enough to mimic the metal's natural level in the brain. Their study appeared Wednesday in the journal findings are based on a series of experiments in mice and on analyses of human brain tissue and blood samples from individuals in various stages of cognitive scientists found that lithium loss in the human brain is one of the earliest changes leading to Alzheimer's, while in mice, similar lithium depletion accelerated brain pathology and memory team further found that reduced lithium levels stemmed from binding to amyloid plaques and impaired uptake in the brain. In a final set of experiments, the team found that a novel lithium compound that avoids capture by amyloid plaques restored memory in mice. The results unify decades-long observations in patients, providing a new theory of the disease and a new strategy for early diagnosis, prevention, and an estimated 400 million people worldwide, Alzheimer's disease involves an array of brain abnormalities — such as clumps of the protein amyloid beta, neurofibrillary tangles of the protein tau, and loss of a protective protein called REST — but these never explained the full story of the instance, some people with such abnormalities show no signs of cognitive decline. And recently developed treatments that target amyloid beta typically don't reverse memory loss and only modestly reduce the rate of decline. It is also clear that genetic and environmental factors affect risk of Alzheimer's, but scientists haven't figured out why some people with the same risk factors develop the disease while others do not. Lithium, the study authors said, may be a critical missing link.'The idea that lithium deficiency could be a cause of Alzheimer's disease is new and suggests a different therapeutic approach,' said senior author Bruce Yankner, professor of genetics and neurology in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS, who in the 1990s was the first to demonstrate that amyloid beta is study raises hopes that researchers could one day use lithium to treat the disease in its entirety rather than focusing on a single facet such as amyloid beta or tau, he of the main discoveries in the study is that as amyloid beta begins to form deposits in the early stages of dementia in both humans and mouse models, it binds to lithium, reducing lithium's function in the brain. The lower lithium levels affect all major brain cell types and, in mice, give rise to changes recapitulating Alzheimer's disease, including memory authors identified a class of lithium compounds that can evade capture by amyloid beta. Treating mice with the most potent amyloid-evading compound, called lithium orotate, reversed Alzheimer's disease pathology, prevented brain cell damage, and restored the findings need to be confirmed in humans through clinical trials, they suggest that measuring lithium levels could help screen for early Alzheimer's. Moreover, the findings point to the importance of testing amyloid-evading lithium compounds for treatment or lithium compounds are already used to treat bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, but they are given at much higher concentrations that can be toxic, especially to older team found that lithium orotate is effective at one-thousandth that dose — enough to mimic the natural level of lithium in the brain. Mice treated for nearly their entire adult lives showed no evidence of lithium has not yet been shown to be safe or effective in protecting against neurodegeneration in humans, Yankner emphasises that people should not take lithium compounds on their own. But he expressed cautious optimism that lithium orotate or a similar compound will move forward into clinical trials in the near future and could ultimately change the story of Alzheimer's treatment. 'My hope is that lithium will do something more fundamental than anti-amyloid or anti-tau therapies, not just lessening but reversing cognitive decline and improving patients' lives,' he said. Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
