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How did cloning technology contribute to the creation of Dolly the sheep in 1996?

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A step-by-step diagram shows donor DNA and vector DNA cut with restriction enzymes to create overhangs, mixed and sealed with ligase to form recombinant DNA, which is introduced into bacterial cells. The recombinant DNA replicates as the cells divide, producing clones. — biotechnology Steps involved in the engineering of a recombinant DNA molecule.

Dolly the sheep, born in 1996, was the first mammal cloned from an adult cell, a breakthrough achieved by scientists at the Roslin Institute using a technique known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).123

The process involved several critical steps:

Enucleation: Researchers removed the nucleus from an unfertilized egg cell obtained from a donor sheep.12
Nuclear Transfer: A mammary gland cell was taken from an adult Finn Dorset ewe. To ensure the nucleus could be reprogrammed, the cell was induced into a quiescent, non-dividing state by withholding nutrients. This nucleus was then transferred into the enucleated egg.23
Activation: The resulting cell was stimulated with electrical pulses, causing the donor nucleus and the egg to fuse and begin dividing as an embryo.124
Implantation: The reconstructed embryo was implanted into a surrogate mother, eventually resulting in the birth of Dolly.125

This achievement proved that adult cells could be reprogrammed to create a viable organism, fundamentally changing the field of cloning and biotechnology.234