Cloned mice created from freeze dried skin cells in world first

Dorami, the black mouse on the left, is the first cloned mouse from freeze-dried skin cells and her offspring The white mouse is a normal male mouse for mating, and the small brown mice are Dorami's mouse pups. Photograph: University of Yamanashi

Researchers have created cloned mice from freeze dried skin cells in a world first that aims to help conservationists revive populations of endangered species.

The breakthrough paves the way for countries to store skin cells from animals as an insurance policy, as the cells can be used to create clones that boost the species’ genetic diversity if they become threatened with extinction in the future.