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Thread: how about some chlorophyll genes for humans? |
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Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 4
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
found this article about slugs:
"This is the first time that multicellar animals have been able to produce chlorophyll," Pierce told LiveScience. As long as we shine a light on them for 12 hours a day, they can survive without food." so i was thinking it might work in people too. http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100112/...slugishalfplanthalfanimal |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
email reply from researcher indicates it is remotely possible
 "there is always a chance of what you have suggested. Even though the slugs have figured out how to do it, we do not yet understand the whole mechanism. the cellular biochemistry to do what they do is complicated and demanding. also gene therapy in humans, which is usually moving just a single gene, doesn't work very well yet-but we'll have to see how it turns out. SKP _________________________________ Sidney K. Pierce, Ph. D." |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
 John Scalzi has some genetically engineered humans in his book "Old Man's War" that have chlorophyll (greenskins). It seems like an unnecessary complication to me since it is only a minor supplement to their food intake and serves no major purpose to the story. John Varley has a novel "Ophiuchi Hotline" with people who have fused with a vast genetically-engineered symbiotic plant and live in space. The tremendous surface area does feed them. Of course, the total amount of plant matter needs a zero-g environment. It takes a lot of surface area. Lawrence |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Of course, the total amount of plant matter needs a zero-g environment. It takes a lot of surface area. . . . and chloroplasts have a large surface per unit of mass and volume, as it is only small creatures that can possibly survive on the glucose manufactured by these cell inclusions, and only those that are in reach of atmospheric carbon, water and light.[Edit 2 times, last edit by Former Member at Jan 17, 2010 10:33:37 PM] |
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