Keith Campbell, Actor of Dolly Cloning

Actor of Dolly Cloning

Keith Campbell

Keith Campbell, a prominent biologist who worked on cloning Dolly the sheep, passed away at the age of 58, the University of Nottingham said, Thursday, Campbell who had worked on animal improvement and cloning since 1999, died on October 5, 2012, University spokesman Tim Utton said. He didn't specify the cause, only saying that Campbell had worked at the university until his death.

He began researching on animal cloning at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh in 1991. In 1996 the experiment led to the birth of Dolly the sheep, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell.

The sheep was named after the vuluptous singer Dolly Parton. Researcher at the time said that the sheep was created from a mammary gland cell, and that Parton offered an excellent example.

The creation of the sheep captured the public imagination and instantly became a scientific sensation. The experiments drew not only admiration but also anger from some who raised questions about the ethic of cloning. Animal right activistswere outraged, while the church of England expressed reservations. Dolly was put down in 2003 after she developed a lung disease. Campbell's interest in cellular growth dated back to his college days studying microbiology in London.

(adapted from nat.exam 2013)