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Dr Bjorn Oback
- Position:
- Senior Scientist
- Field:
- Nuclear transfer cloning
- Organisation:
- AgResearch Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre
Bjorn Oback is the inaugural winner of the Emerging Scientist Kudo Award, sponsored by WaikatoLink.
Dr Oback’s research focuses on improving the efficiency of nuclear transfer (NT) cloning.
Traditional NT cloning procedures are labour- and cost-intensive and require high technical skills to perform. Dr Oback has developed a simplified cloning procedure that doubles the throughput in cloned bovine embryos and offspring production and also increases the ease of operation and reproducibility.
The NT cloning procedure developed by Dr Oback can help satisfy the increased demand for cloned embryos and offspring in commercial agriculture, basic science and therapy (for example, for producing embryonic stem cell lines).
His work has also proved that somatic donor cell type is not critical for cloning success. While working on this particular part of his research, he produced the world’s first cloned red deer.
In 2007, Dr Oback received the Queenstown Molecular Biology Promising Researcher Award. He also received the 8th ROYAN International Award for Reproductive Biomedicine and Stem Cell Biotechnology in the embryology category.
The importance of his work is proven by the citing of his research in various international publications and his invitations to speak at universities and conferences all over the world.
Dr Oback’s personal goal is that his work can help to overcome the animal welfare and economical concerns that currently limit acceptability and applicability of cloning technology.
Follow this link to the Kudos website to see the 2007 Award winners: www.thekudos.org.nz/2007winners.html
This article is based on information current in 2008.