Category:Genetic Engineering

Genetic Enhancement is the biological process by which one's genetic sequences are modified to add, modify, or remove certain physical and/or mental traits. In scientific terms: to alter one's phenotype by changing one's genotype.

While some species have used this to correct genetic deformities, such as the Denobulans, some species like Humans used it to terraform themselves instead of their colony worlds to survive in a wide variety of environments.

Pandora Modification
Developed by scientists on the UES Conestoga, the modification was a general restructuring of the Human respiratory system to be able to breath the lethal mixture of carbon dioxide and especially hydrogen sulfide in the atmosphere of Pandora. Breathing Pandoran air would cause a variety of unpleasant or deadly reactions in un-modified Humans; including choking and burning of mucous membranes, followed by unconsciousness within twenty seconds and death within minutes due to cellular oxygen deprivation. A detracting factor to this modification is the lack of hydrogren sulfide (i.e. an Earth-standard atmosphere) can cause allergic reactions in Pandora modification Humans, requiring them to take specifilized pills when in Earth-standard atmospheres.

Heavy Gravity (Hercules) Modification
Individuals with this genetic modification were called Heavy-Worlders or Herculean, after the planet of Hercules where the genetic modification was first implemented. As such can survive the harsh conditions present on a planet with heavy gravity, up to 4 to 5 Gs higher than Earth-standard. Herculians, due to their increased metabolic efficiency, denser bone structures and muscle development can have up to five times the strength of a normal Human, and due to their increased cardiovascular system live at least 180-years without medical assistance. Individuals also have noticeably different body weight then other humans as their muscles and bones are far more dense and powerful than an average persons. A drawback is that Herculean Humans must eat significantly larger meals to feed their increased metabolism, resulting in their populations consuming almost four times as much food as normal Human populations.

Aquatic (New Tokyo) Modification
Individuals with this genetic modification were engineered to survive on a world that had an extremely rich ocean ecology and little usable landmass, generally called mere-people in regards to the mythical Earth legends of Mermaids and Mermen, also the name New Tokyo modification was common after the colony where the modification was first implemented. Individuals with this modification have developed a gills on their collar bones and a secondary set of lungs, for breathing underwater. Individuals also have a thicker epidermis to deal with deep ocean pressures and webbed hands and elongated feet for moving underwater quickly.