Homeotic Genes and Body Patterns
Dec. 4th, 2022 02:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThat is home-otic, not homo-erotic. These are genes that control the copy-paste function in organism development, along with different variations of a base concept (e.g. the same program can make a leg or a wing).
This is very useful for gengineering. One of the first things people usually think of is putting extra drumsticks on chickens. That actually can work. You have to hack out the calculations, though, and those are a pain in the ass. A body part has to justify its existence. A gengineer makes that choice -- but then you have to backtrack and figure out how much support it needs in terms of extra fuel, extra waste disposal, etc. and ensure the body has that.
This is very useful for gengineering. One of the first things people usually think of is putting extra drumsticks on chickens. That actually can work. You have to hack out the calculations, though, and those are a pain in the ass. A body part has to justify its existence. A gengineer makes that choice -- but then you have to backtrack and figure out how much support it needs in terms of extra fuel, extra waste disposal, etc. and ensure the body has that.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2022-12-05 04:42 pm (UTC)I think they can at least flap their wings and feel the air, though.
>>Gengineered corn which is a wind-pollinated crop.<<
I wish people could sue the gengineer-companies for "trespassing and destruction of property" in the cases where you never wanted the gene-edited stuff in the first place.
>>Oh gods now I want to do that.<<
I got the idea from this story (but put down/swallow all beverages before reading):
https://notalwaysright.com/way-better-than-what-neelix-can-cook-up/132180/