Hand dexterity makes cloning work better

This article in Wired News: Chopsticks for Better Cloning doesn't surprise me at all. South Korean researchers have been able to do physical manipulations involved in cloning research much more effectively than westerners can. When I was an undergratuate I had the opportunity to work in a biochemistry lab at the University of Illinois. One of the post-docs in the lab was a brilliant South Korean researcher. She dazzled all of us with her ability to manipulate chick embryo tissue. I spent time with her to learn some of her secrets: patience and a light touch. But, as the article points out, there's the dexterity that comes from working with steel chopsticks, too.