Why should astronauts grow and eat Caulerpa taxifolia, the world's biggest single-celled organism?
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Caulerpa taxifolia, an algae species popular with aquarium owners, is the largest single-celled organism known to us as of today. It is notable for being able to regenerate from any part of the body and shows structures mirroring normal plant organs, with RNA differing throughout different parts of the organism. It is an invasive species.
In my story, the (zero-G and centrifugal) STL habitats and colony ships of a giant settlement fleet as well surface stations on inhospitable planets extensively farm C. taxifolia for the purpose of human nutrition and feeding cattle.
My question is:
- Why should C. taxifolia be utilized as the primary nourishing plant in a hard sci-fi, outer-space environment? Which advantages does its macromonocellular structure encompass?
space-travel flora food
asked 4 hours ago
MedwedianPresidentMedwedianPresident
2,53021739
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add a comment |
$begingroup$
Caulerpa taxifolia, an algae species popular with aquarium owners, is the largest single-celled organism known to us as of today. It is notable for being able to regenerate from any part of the body and shows structures mirroring normal plant organs, with RNA differing throughout different parts of the organism. It is an invasive species.
In my story, the (zero-G and centrifugal) STL habitats and colony ships of a giant settlement fleet as well surface stations on inhospitable planets extensively farm C. taxifolia for the purpose of human nutrition and feeding cattle.
My question is:
- Why should C. taxifolia be utilized as the primary nourishing plant in a hard sci-fi, outer-space environment? Which advantages does its macromonocellular structure encompass?
space-travel flora food
asked 4 hours ago
MedwedianPresidentMedwedianPresident
2,53021739
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
"Which advantages does its macromonocellular structure encompass?" Advantages with respect to what? There is no such thing as the best crop for ll uses. If all they have is C. taxifolia then they will grow C. taxifolia. If they have multiple choices they will grow multiple crops, each suitable for its intended purpose.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
4 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Caulerpa taxifolia, an algae species popular with aquarium owners, is the largest single-celled organism known to us as of today. It is notable for being able to regenerate from any part of the body and shows structures mirroring normal plant organs, with RNA differing throughout different parts of the organism. It is an invasive species.
In my story, the (zero-G and centrifugal) STL habitats and colony ships of a giant settlement fleet as well surface stations on inhospitable planets extensively farm C. taxifolia for the purpose of human nutrition and feeding cattle.
My question is:
- Why should C. taxifolia be utilized as the primary nourishing plant in a hard sci-fi, outer-space environment? Which advantages does its macromonocellular structure encompass?
space-travel flora food
asked 4 hours ago
MedwedianPresidentMedwedianPresident
2,53021739
$endgroup$
Caulerpa taxifolia, an algae species popular with aquarium owners, is the largest single-celled organism known to us as of today. It is notable for being able to regenerate from any part of the body and shows structures mirroring normal plant organs, with RNA differing throughout different parts of the organism. It is an invasive species.
In my story, the (zero-G and centrifugal) STL habitats and colony ships of a giant settlement fleet as well surface stations on inhospitable planets extensively farm C. taxifolia for the purpose of human nutrition and feeding cattle.
My question is:
- Why should C. taxifolia be utilized as the primary nourishing plant in a hard sci-fi, outer-space environment? Which advantages does its macromonocellular structure encompass?
space-travel flora food
space-travel flora food
asked 4 hours ago
MedwedianPresidentMedwedianPresident
2,53021739
asked 4 hours ago
MedwedianPresidentMedwedianPresident
2,53021739
asked 4 hours ago
MedwedianPresidentMedwedianPresident
2,53021739
asked 4 hours ago
MedwedianPresidentMedwedianPresident
2,53021739
asked 4 hours ago
MedwedianPresidentMedwedianPresident
2,53021739
2,53021739
$begingroup$
"Which advantages does its macromonocellular structure encompass?" Advantages with respect to what? There is no such thing as the best crop for ll uses. If all they have is C. taxifolia then they will grow C. taxifolia. If they have multiple choices they will grow multiple crops, each suitable for its intended purpose.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
4 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
"Which advantages does its macromonocellular structure encompass?" Advantages with respect to what? There is no such thing as the best crop for ll uses. If all they have is C. taxifolia then they will grow C. taxifolia. If they have multiple choices they will grow multiple crops, each suitable for its intended purpose.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
4 hours ago
$begingroup$
"Which advantages does its macromonocellular structure encompass?" Advantages with respect to what? There is no such thing as the best crop for ll uses. If all they have is C. taxifolia then they will grow C. taxifolia. If they have multiple choices they will grow multiple crops, each suitable for its intended purpose.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
4 hours ago
$begingroup$
"Which advantages does its macromonocellular structure encompass?" Advantages with respect to what? There is no such thing as the best crop for ll uses. If all they have is C. taxifolia then they will grow C. taxifolia. If they have multiple choices they will grow multiple crops, each suitable for its intended purpose.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
4 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
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$begingroup$
Ease of genetic engineering.
Production of genetically and developmentally modified seaweeds: exploiting the potential of artificial selection techniques
Macroalgal stocks with altered morphological traits can either be
continuously collected from the wild or generated on demand in culture
facilities using a combination of techniques likely to modify the
developmental traits in a stable way.
As opposed to vascular plants, which must be engineered to breed true and then cultivated / sustained from seed through their life cycles, an alga like Caulerpa can have a somatic cell engineered and then be maintained indefinitely from that single cell - much as is the case for engineered bacteria. In theory it is much, much easier. That can be the rationale - various Caulerpa stock have been made with different flavors, vitamin and protein characteristics etc. Your near future astronauts are master engineers of the Caulerpa and just tweak it to be whatever they need.
answered 4 hours ago
WillkWillk
105k25197441
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add a comment |
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
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$begingroup$
Ease of genetic engineering.
Production of genetically and developmentally modified seaweeds: exploiting the potential of artificial selection techniques
Macroalgal stocks with altered morphological traits can either be
continuously collected from the wild or generated on demand in culture
facilities using a combination of techniques likely to modify the
developmental traits in a stable way.
As opposed to vascular plants, which must be engineered to breed true and then cultivated / sustained from seed through their life cycles, an alga like Caulerpa can have a somatic cell engineered and then be maintained indefinitely from that single cell - much as is the case for engineered bacteria. In theory it is much, much easier. That can be the rationale - various Caulerpa stock have been made with different flavors, vitamin and protein characteristics etc. Your near future astronauts are master engineers of the Caulerpa and just tweak it to be whatever they need.
answered 4 hours ago
WillkWillk
105k25197441
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Ease of genetic engineering.
Production of genetically and developmentally modified seaweeds: exploiting the potential of artificial selection techniques
Macroalgal stocks with altered morphological traits can either be
continuously collected from the wild or generated on demand in culture
facilities using a combination of techniques likely to modify the
developmental traits in a stable way.
As opposed to vascular plants, which must be engineered to breed true and then cultivated / sustained from seed through their life cycles, an alga like Caulerpa can have a somatic cell engineered and then be maintained indefinitely from that single cell - much as is the case for engineered bacteria. In theory it is much, much easier. That can be the rationale - various Caulerpa stock have been made with different flavors, vitamin and protein characteristics etc. Your near future astronauts are master engineers of the Caulerpa and just tweak it to be whatever they need.
answered 4 hours ago
WillkWillk
105k25197441
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Ease of genetic engineering.
Production of genetically and developmentally modified seaweeds: exploiting the potential of artificial selection techniques
Macroalgal stocks with altered morphological traits can either be
continuously collected from the wild or generated on demand in culture
facilities using a combination of techniques likely to modify the
developmental traits in a stable way.
As opposed to vascular plants, which must be engineered to breed true and then cultivated / sustained from seed through their life cycles, an alga like Caulerpa can have a somatic cell engineered and then be maintained indefinitely from that single cell - much as is the case for engineered bacteria. In theory it is much, much easier. That can be the rationale - various Caulerpa stock have been made with different flavors, vitamin and protein characteristics etc. Your near future astronauts are master engineers of the Caulerpa and just tweak it to be whatever they need.
answered 4 hours ago
WillkWillk
105k25197441
$endgroup$
Ease of genetic engineering.
Production of genetically and developmentally modified seaweeds: exploiting the potential of artificial selection techniques
Macroalgal stocks with altered morphological traits can either be
continuously collected from the wild or generated on demand in culture
facilities using a combination of techniques likely to modify the
developmental traits in a stable way.
As opposed to vascular plants, which must be engineered to breed true and then cultivated / sustained from seed through their life cycles, an alga like Caulerpa can have a somatic cell engineered and then be maintained indefinitely from that single cell - much as is the case for engineered bacteria. In theory it is much, much easier. That can be the rationale - various Caulerpa stock have been made with different flavors, vitamin and protein characteristics etc. Your near future astronauts are master engineers of the Caulerpa and just tweak it to be whatever they need.
answered 4 hours ago
WillkWillk
105k25197441
answered 4 hours ago
WillkWillk
105k25197441
answered 4 hours ago
WillkWillk
105k25197441
answered 4 hours ago
WillkWillk
105k25197441
105k25197441
add a comment |
add a comment |
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$begingroup$
"Which advantages does its macromonocellular structure encompass?" Advantages with respect to what? There is no such thing as the best crop for ll uses. If all they have is C. taxifolia then they will grow C. taxifolia. If they have multiple choices they will grow multiple crops, each suitable for its intended purpose.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
4 hours ago