2. Cambridge
They chose Cambridge without hesitating. They somehow expected as such.
The flight to London was too long for Lisa because of her illness. She took a seat with a little nap all the way.
On the next day they visited the Gene Technology Institution of the Cambridge University. Cold cloudy weather of Cambridge was just like her dark feeling.
At the reception desk they showed that array and asked.
“We are from Japan. We want to confirm whether this array was coming from this Institution or not.”
“Do you have any appointment?”
A reception lady answered in an inhospitable manner.
“Please introduce us to anyone responsible. It is very important for us.”
“No, it’s difficult. Nobody can meet any visitor without any appointment. It’s a basic rule of this Institution.”
They could not leave easily because they had come here by a long journey.
When they troubled at the desk, one tall gentleman came in by accident.
“What’s the matter? Something wrong?”
They rushed to show him the DNA array without any word. He seemed a little astonished but started scrutinizing the array carefully.
“It’s a big surprise, isn’t it? How did you get this? This is surely our Labo’s one. But very old. Maybe more than 20 years ago. Look, look at this code number.”
The gentleman directed the edge of array and urged them to look into. They found a very tiny carved numbers “R90157”. It was too small to notice without a magnifying glass.
Then they explained the long story so far and the purpose they came here.
The gentleman had heard their talk seriously and then slowly opened his mouth.
“Hmm, a very strange story. OK, let’s check a person who had used this array.”
“Is it possible?”
“Perhaps. At that time we had recorded the name and the purpose of using DNA array. Because it was a very valuable device. We never do that anymore now. Then, please follow me. Please call me just Stewart. I am working here as a senior researcher.”
He invited them into the Institution through the security gate.
Soon after they got to the circular exhibition hall. At the center of the hall there was one stuffed sheep.
“Please wait here for a while. I will ask my staff to check this array. It will take a little time.”
The gentleman named Stewart went away further into the next door. They left alone in the hall. Yuichi looked around the hall and suddenly shouted with exciting voice.
“Lisa, this is Mary. It’s great. Mary.”
“What is Mary?”
“You don’t know, do you? It’s the first clone sheep in the world. This is real Mary Wonderful.”
Yuichi pushed the green button on the showcase, then the panel was illuminated and the audio guidance had started.
“Welcome to the Cambridge Gene Technology Institution. Now you can see a stuffed sheep. I am the first clone sheep in the world. Please call me Mary. I was born in 1995 at this Institution. Now I will explain you how I was born.“
At that time Stewart returned.
“I have ordered my staff to check that array. It will take half an hour or so. Oh, do you have an interest in this stuffed sheep?”
“Yes, I do very much. It’s Mary, isn’t it?”
Yuichi answered with smile.
“Oh, you know her name. That’s right. It is the first clone sheep in the world. Clone means a kind of copy of DNA. Until that time everybody thought it was impossible to make a complete copy of highly evolved animal.
Normally once a fertilized egg cell has started it division and grown into respective organs, like skin, bone, heart and stomach etc, they cannot be restored to the original egg cell. Most of the researchers believed a skin cell would be just a skin cell and never could regain its full functions.
But we discovered if we activated a cell under some special conditions, it regained full functions. This Mary was made from one mammary glandular cell without any insemination.
Sorry, it’s a little difficult, but we replaced the core of an embryonic stem cell by the core of Mary’s mother’s mammary glandular cell and gave it an electrical shock, it started division like a fertilized egg cell. Therefor in other words this Mary is a complete copy of her mother in a genetic meaning.”
It was too difficult for Lisa and Yuichi to understand details, but they realized there would be a case to make a new baby without any insemination.
Stewart continued further.
“But, this experiment arose a big ethical problem. Some scientist accused it was a sin to step into the God’s area, another said it was a technology to produce many copies of Hitler. Therefor people made a law to prohibit human cloning and strictly regulated to use this technology for human.”
They deeply sighed. Yuichi had lost his excitement to hear that.
At that moment one staff came to them with some materials. At a glance those books looked like very old, titled “Records of DNA Array Usage.”
They opened a page and looked into the number “R90157”.
“R means the section of Lab, 90 means 1990 and 157 is maybe a series of number.”
They had carefully followed the number and found it at last.
Array Number: R90157
Date: 25 th March 1990
User: Yasuko Satoh
Section: Brown-Satoh Lab
Purpose: DNA Activation Test
“This name seems Japanese. Who is this? Why she was here?”
Lisa pointed the name “Yasuko Satoh”.
“Maybe the answer will be in this.”
Stewart opened another book titled “Personnel Record of Staffs”. He turned over pages around 1990.
“Yah. Here it is.”
Lisa and Yuichi were surprised with that strict administration. It is really an English manner to keep any records for such long period.
Name: Yasuko Satoh
Nationality: Japan
Status: Visiting Researcher
Period: 1 October 1989 – 30 June 1990
Career: Master Class of Medical Division, Tokyo University
Lisa finally found the person who had left her DNA Array.
“Is there any further detail information about this person?”
“Hmm. It may be difficult. Because it was too old. But it’s strange. She left the Institution a little earlier than 2 years. Something might happen on her.”
“How about this Brown? What does Brown-Satoh Lab mean?”
“Ah, perhaps that was her partner’s name. At that time we named each Lab after belonging researcher’s name.”
“Then if we find that Mr. Brown, he will be able to tell us something.”
“Wait a moment. Let’s see. Sorry, he had left the Institution soon after, too. He was an American, the Harvard University. No more details.”
They were reluctant very much. 20 years is too long to follow. But they could get one trivial clue. The name, Yasuko Satoh who belonged to Tokyo University 20 years ago.
They left the Institution into the dark snowy town.
To be continued
