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Professor
Sir Ian Wilmut
1944 – 2023

Prof Sir Ian Wilmut

January 24, 2024

Professor Sir Ian Wilmut was a pioneering biologist and embryologist who gained international acclaim for his groundbreaking work in the field of reproductive cloning.

Beginning his career at the University of Cambridge, Professor Wilmut then moved to the Animal Breeding Research Association (ABRO) which later became Roslin Institute, and then Roslin Foundation. Ian continued to work with reproductive cells and embryos and his efforts eventually led to leading the team responsible for creating Dolly the Sheep. Dolly was cloned from a cell taken from the mammary gland of a six-year-old Finn Dorset sheep and an egg cell taken from a Scottish Blackface sheep. She was born to her Scottish Blackface surrogate mother on 5th July 1996. Dolly’s white face was one of the first signs that she was a clone because if she was genetically related to her surrogate mother, she would have had a black face. Because Dolly’s DNA came from a mammary gland cell, she was named after the country singer Dolly Parton.

Professor Wilmut’s contribution to science extended beyond Dolly the Sheep. He remained an influential figure in the field of reproductive biology, advocating for responsible and ethical applications of cloning technology. His work has inspired a new era of scientific enquiry, challenging our understanding of genetics and paving the way for innovative breakthroughs in the fields of medicine, agriculture and beyond.