British scientist Ian Wilmut, the “father” of Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from adult cells, died in 79 years old, the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh reported on Monday.

The biologist and his team devised a pioneering technique that it led to the birth of the famous sheep on July 5, 1996and revolutionized the field genetic cloning.

Wilmut’s work “had a global reach,” said Bruce Whitelaw, director of the Scottish institution where the breakthrough was made, who emphasized that his legacy continues to inspire numerous discoveries in “human and animal biology research.” The scientist retired from the academic world in 2012, and six years later he publicly announced that he was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

“He was a titan” whose work “transformed the scientific thinking of his time,” said Peter Mathieson, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Edinburgh. “The impact of his work will last for generations. “He was an extremely respected scientist, mentor and friend,” he added.

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The famous Dolly – who owes her name to the American singer Dolly Parton – He came to life from a cell in the mammary gland of a Dorset Finn sheep, and his existence was kept secret until early 1997.

Until then, the scientific community thought that specialized adult cells contained only the information to perform their specific function, and it was considered impossible that they could give rise to a complete animal.

Wilmut’s team was able, however, to start a new life from one of those adult cells and eggs, which they developed in a test tube for six days, before transferring them to a surrogate mother.

To get that result, Wilmut led a large team of scientists from various fields, including embryologists, surgeons, veterinarians, and animal husbandry specialists.

Dolly gave birth to several babies between 1998 and 2000 and enjoyed a “normal quality of life” – as described by the Roslin Institute – until February 2003, when several tumors were discovered on her lungs and it was decided to euthanize her to prevent her suffering. .