Chinese researchers have cloned eight piglets in a simplified method compared to traditional cloning.

The piglets were born on August 30 by handmade cloning (HMC), an alternative to the conventional operation that requires expensive equipment, said Yang Huanming, a scientist at Beijing Genomics Institute's Shenzhen Branch (BGI Shenzhen) that developed the HMC technology.

HMC needs only a metal blade and skilled hands, which reduces costs and increases efficiency, Yang said.

Pig cloning could offer organs for human transplantation and was also an important way to retain or improve rare livestock species, according to Yang.

(Shanghai Daily October 13, 2008)