30th anniversary of the birth of Dolly the Sheep
Primary sponsor
Dr Scott Arthur
Motion Text
That this House marks the 30th anniversary of the birth of Dolly the Sheep on 5 July 1996 at the Roslin Institute in Midlothian, the first mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult somatic cell; recognises that Dolly's birth was a landmark scientific achievement which transformed understanding of developmental biology and helped pave the way for major advances in regenerative medicine, stem cell science and biotechnology; commends the pioneering work of Professor Sir Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell and their colleagues at the Roslin Institute and PPL Therapeutics; notes the significant contribution that the Roslin Institute, the University of Edinburgh and Scotland's world-leading life sciences sector have made to scientific innovation and economic growth; further notes the successful development of companies arising from Roslin's research and innovation ecosystem, including RoslinCT, a leading cell and gene therapy development and manufacturing company established as a Roslin spin-out in 2006, and Roslin Technologies, founded in 2017 to commercialise advanced animal stem-cell technologies and support sustainable food production and animal health innovation; acknowledges the wider impact of Roslin-linked commercial ventures and knowledge transfer activities in creating highly skilled employment and attracting investment to Scotland; and celebrates Dolly's enduring legacy as a symbol of Scottish scientific excellence and global innovation.