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Genetic tinkering

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Re: Genetic tinkering
Post by SWM   » Tue May 05, 2015 1:47 pm

SWM
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saber964 wrote:Yes and No. 'Cats like celery from anywhere but only the gen-mod Sphinxian celery has the 'vitamin' which was modified by Marjory Harrington. Also Dr. Harington was modifying another plant that may have the 'vitamin' namely the 'Purple Star' in Fire Season which was (speculatively) a cross of Purple Thorn and a Star Fruit.

The way I read it, "Purple Star" was the human name for what treecats called "Purple Thorn", and Dr. Harrington was using "Purple Star" DNA to modify the celery, unintentionally including whatever mechanism "Purple Star" uses to produce/concentrate the telepath nutrient.
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Re: Genetic tinkering
Post by Kytheros   » Tue May 05, 2015 2:41 pm

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SWM wrote:
saber964 wrote:Yes and No. 'Cats like celery from anywhere but only the gen-mod Sphinxian celery has the 'vitamin' which was modified by Marjory Harrington. Also Dr. Harington was modifying another plant that may have the 'vitamin' namely the 'Purple Star' in Fire Season which was (speculatively) a cross of Purple Thorn and a Star Fruit.

The way I read it, "Purple Star" was the human name for what treecats called "Purple Thorn", and Dr. Harrington was using "Purple Star" DNA to modify the celery, unintentionally including whatever mechanism "Purple Star" uses to produce/concentrate the telepath nutrient.

IIRC it was intentional, the goal behind modifying the celery, in fact - the compound in question functions as a natural insecticide or insect deterrent in the plant. The side effect of nourishing telepathic abilities was, of course, unknown.
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Re: Genetic tinkering
Post by SWM   » Tue May 05, 2015 3:23 pm

SWM
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Posts: 5928
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Kytheros wrote:
SWM wrote:The way I read it, "Purple Star" was the human name for what treecats called "Purple Thorn", and Dr. Harrington was using "Purple Star" DNA to modify the celery, unintentionally including whatever mechanism "Purple Star" uses to produce/concentrate the telepath nutrient.

IIRC it was intentional, the goal behind modifying the celery, in fact - the compound in question functions as a natural insecticide or insect deterrent in the plant. The side effect of nourishing telepathic abilities was, of course, unknown.

Yes, the intent was to transplant the insect deterrent from Purple Thorn to celery. We don't know for certain whether that insect deterrent is also the telepathic enhancer, or whether the enhancer is some other DNA segment that was also brought over. But the idea that they are the same is more than plausible.
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