Gordon L. Woods was a pioneering American equine reproduction specialist best known for leading the research that produced the first cloned equine, a mule named Idaho Gem, born in 2003. His work involved advanced nuclear transfer techniques, where a nucleus from a donor mule cell was inserted into an enucleated horse egg, resulting in viable cloned offspring that went on to have successful racing careers. Woods also contributed significantly to using equines as models for studying human diseases, particularly cancer, founding the company CancEr2 to investigate biological processes underlying both equine and human cancers.

Woods earned multiple degrees in veterinary medicine and reproductive biology from institutions including the University of Idaho, Colorado State University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Wisconsin. He held academic positions at Cornell University and the University of Idaho, where he established the Northwest Equine Reproduction Laboratory. Later, he commercialized horse reproduction and cloning technologies through companies like EquinE2 and ClonE2. In 2007, Woods joined Colorado State University’s faculty, continuing his work in animal reproduction and biotechnology until his death in 2009.