MILL VALLEY, Calif – BioArts International is launching an unusual global online auction July 5th-9th. The auction item is rarer than a 1937 Mercedes Benz Roadster, a red diamond or an original Shakespeare manuscript. Five successful bidders, who bid over $100,000, will have their best friend, their beloved dog, cloned. Is it possible? Ask Mira, she’s a clone.
Mira is one of three puppies cloned from Missy, a Border Collie mix and beloved family pet of Lou Hawthorne, CEO of BioArts International. Hawthorne, a seasoned biotech CEO, began the Missyplicity project in 1997 to find a way to clone his family dog, who died in 2002 at age 15. Mira and her two sisters are exact replicas of Missy, created from a small sample of her tissue. Each puppy has been authenticated as a clone by University of California, Davis’ Veterinary Genetics Laboratory.
In celebration of Mira and her sisters’ historic births, BioArts International has launched the Best Friends Again website, www.bestfriendsagain.com, with this first online auction to clone five dogs. From July 5th-9th, the highest bidder will be notified daily. First day bidding will begin at $100,000 with the initial price increasing each successive day. Participants must register at www.bestfriendsagain.com.
BioArts International has been granted the sole, worldwide license for the cloning of dogs, cats and endangered species. This exclusive license was granted by Start Licensing Inc. and applies to the SCNT cloning patents developed at the Roslin Institute for Dolly the sheep, the first successfully cloned animal. The Best Friends Again program is a partnership between BioArts and the world’s most experienced dog cloning team, Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in South Korea.
Eleven years since he began his quest to clone Missy, Lou Hawthorne’s hard work can be found running around his office. “It really feels like Missy is back in all her glory,” said Hawthorne, “I am so excited to offer five other lucky people the same opportunity.” Hawthorne’s and Sooam’s investors spent over $25 million developing dog cloning technology — which is much more advanced than that used to clone Dolly the sheep.
For more information go to www.bioarts.com.