Removing the cell nucleus from the egg.

Transplanting the donor cell nucleus into the egg.

The method used to transplant cell nuclei, in other words the technique known as cloning, usually involves the following sequence: 1 An egg is taken from the female 2 The cell nucleus is removed from the egg 3 The donor cell and egg are electrically fused 4 Fertilization stimulation is given to trigger the development of an embryo In place of this earlier method, Dr. Wakayama has turned to a method used in IVF that involves attaching a device called a piezo drive to the tip of a micromanipulator, and using this for the nucleus transplant. This reduced the time required for the process by a considerable margin, and kept damage to the cell nucleus and genes to a bare minimum. Then, by employing the revolutionary method of waiting several hours after the nucleus had been transplanted before stimulating fertilization to grow the embryo, Dr. Wakayama became a world-famous cloning technology technician of global importance in this field.