Renowned cloning pioneer Ian Wilmut, whose groundbreaking work led to the creation of the world's most famous sheep, Dolly, has passed away at the age of 79. The University of Edinburgh in Scotland confirmed that Wilmut died on Sunday after battling Parkinson's disease. Wilmut's announcement in 1996 about the successful cloning of a lamb using the nucleus of a cell from an adult sheep sparked a global discussion on the ethics of cloning.

It has been confirmed that Professor Sir Ian Wilmut @roslininstitute has passed away at the age of 79. His family has asked that the media and public respect their privacy at this time. https://t.co/FsE9sPCHqr pic.twitter.com/vgA8E81H3B

— The University of Edinburgh (@EdinburghUni) September 11, 2023

The lamb, originally referred to as 6LL3, was later named Dolly after the singer Dolly Parton. This marked the first time scientists were able to coax a mature adult cell into behaving like a cell from a newly fertilized embryo to create a genetically identical animal. While Dolly's creation was praised as a revolution by some scientists, it also raised concerns regarding the ethical implications of such experiments.

The following year, US President Bill Clinton enforced a ban on federal funds for human cloning, although cloning research was not completely prohibited. Dolly's birth had a profound impact, prompting other scientists to clone various animals and raising questions about the potential cloning of humans and extinct species.

In recent years, the concept of bringing back the woolly mammoth using a combination of gene editing and cloning has been proposed. Dolly's cloning was part of a larger project aimed at creating genetically modified sheep that could produce therapeutic proteins in their milk. Sadly, six years after her birth, Dolly was euthanised due to an incurable lung tumor.

After his groundbreaking work with Dolly, Wilmut devoted his efforts to using cloning techniques to generate stem cells for regenerative medicine. This research is crucial for treating genetic and degenerative diseases by aiding the body in repairing damaged tissue. The Roslin Institute, where Wilmut conducted his groundbreaking research, expressed their grief over his passing.

Director Bruce Whitelaw praised Wilmut as a "titan of science," stating that his work on Dolly's creation had transformative effects on scientific thinking. Whitelaw noted that Wilmut's legacy lives on, as his breakthrough continues to drive advancements in the field of regenerative medicine today. Wilmut is survived by his wife, three children, and five grandchildren. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.