The Best Friends Again program is a tight partnership between BioArts International and the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in Korea. Sooam is staffed by many of the same scientists who cloned the first dog, Snuppy, in 2005 at Seoul National University, including team leader Dr. Woo-Suk Hwang, the world’s foremost authority on dog cloning. The Sooam team produced the world’s first three clones of a pet dog, Missy, profiled elsewhere on this site. Sooam has an advanced cloning facility near Seoul, equipped with the latest technology for embryology and microbiology – built to clean-room standards – as well as state-of-the-art veterinary and animal care facilities. Puppies born at Sooam receive expert care and attention 24/7, with several staff members dedicated solely to monitoring the puppies’ comfort, care and growth. Click here for video of our partners at Sooam.

BioArts International supports the Best Friends Again program by managing all media relations, sales, finance and customer relations for the program, and also provides the worldwide license to clone dogs and cats as described under Patent Rights. In addition, the BioArts microengineering subsidiary RoBio Systems of London provides advanced biopsy shippers to the program, to reduce the risk that client animal DNA will be damaged in transit to Sooam. BioArts is also working with Sooam to develop next generation embryo assessment technology and protocols, building on the work that both entities have done in the past.

The Sooam Biotech Research Foundation lab in South Korea, and a shot of a newborn clone of Missy.