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Starlight Gene Patch
An interactive library and gengineering instrument that adapts a biont to local day/night cycles and the wavelengths of available light in a new environment.

Baseline Terragens are adapted to a particular seasonal and diurnal cycle and to the range of wavelengths available around a yellow dwarf star like Sol. They may experience adverse psychological and physiological effects ranging from mood disorders to vitamin deficiencies in artificial environments, or on otherwise habitable worlds that have very different periods of rotation or revolution than Old Earth or that orbit stars such as red dwarfs. Like other sets of adaptive gene therapy, the Starlight Gene Patch reads the local environment and the biont's genetic code and makes the necessary genetic and phenotypic modifications. Though there is a less invasive temporary patch, the standard treatment makes these changes heritable so that the next generation will not require such therapy unless the emigrate to a world or hab with differing conditions. It is commonly used by settlers or recent immigrants to environments that are unlike their original world. In its extended form it is used to adapt all the biota that are used to stock a new ecosystem.

There is no single gene patch system, except possibly in the mind of a higher-level transapient. Instead most planets and habs keep a library and technologies sufficient to adapt a certain range of immigrants or imported organisms to local conditions, and add to that collection as circumstances require.

 
Appears in Topics
AugmenticsGengineeringHigh Tech / Hitech
Organic/Biotech
 
Development Notes
Text by James Ramsey
revised by Stephen Inniss
Initially published on 19 February 2003.

Extensively revised and expanded November 9, 2013
 
 
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