Genetic Engineering (Solar Era)

Genetic Engineering is a biological technology widely used in the Solar Era for agricultural and medical purposes. It is considered a fundamental cornerstone of the Solar Era but has been a longstanding technology well before AD 2300.

History
From a technical standpoint, mankind has been using basic genetic engineering since early prehistory in the form of Selective Breeding, however, it was not until the early 21st century that genetic engineering underwent dramatic advancements. Even with the relatively early technologies a wide range of technologies could be developed, including GM foods, gene therapy, custom molecule production to name a few.

Human Genetic Engineering
Human genetic engineering has proven to be extremely powerful, being able to replace faulty genes with functional versions in order to cure the diseases they cause. This form of gene manipulation is known as Somatic Gene Therapy, and is widely accepted as a treatment for muscular dystrophies, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and other disorders caused by gene deletion or point mutation.

Following expansion into space, colonists and workers were offered various somatic gene therapies, including increased haemoglobin concentration, reduced muscle dystrophy from zero gravity exposure and reduced genetic damage from radiation exposure. Military personnel were offered an increased range of therapies to improve their performance when operating in space, these could help improve low-light vision, reaction time and memory, while reducing fatigue effects and blood loss from severe injury.

While some public stances were staunchly against human genetic modification, the UESF generally allowed for these procedures to be carried out provided they are registered and approved by government oversight. Despite the biological impact of the procedures, they could be reversed and were not hereditary, unlike human germline engineering, allaying most fears of eugenic practices emerging.

This stance was challenged following the events of Operation: MUSKETEER and the death of Lieutenant Cecil Harlow's physical body and survival of his consciousness as a digital entity. Creating a living body that could support this transfer would require a level of genetic modification normally banned under Federation law, however, Federation President Josefine Hansen eventually issued a special dispensation to temporarily override this restriction, allowing for the creation of the first Cyber Transcendant. The Praetorians would later find themselves in a similar position, but chose instead to keep their work classified, providing them with far more freedom in researching Transcendant Engineering.

Protectorate Genetic Engineering
Following the failed jump and arrival of the Heyerdahl in the Oort cloud cluster, the colonists found themselves in a difficult position with minimal resources and a treacherous environment. Despite having been given standard somatic therapies to better survive low-gravity, the lack of any external support made life extremely challenging. Consequently, the Protectorate decided to disregard Federation law and developed Human Germline engineering techniques. Unlike previous gene therapies germline engineering would be passed down from parent to child, providing them with the same benefits but from birth. As a result of this extensive engineering, the colonists dubbed themselves as the subspecies Homo Sapiens Mutatus ("Changed Homo Sapiens") or Homo Mutatus for short. While visually identical to normal humans on the surface, most Homo Mutatus have better natural abilities such as visual acuity, strength, reflexes and memory, though a regular human often match this with sufficient training.

The extensive genetic engineering is not without some side effects though, with more heavily modified individuals having an increased risk of neurological instability. Individuals who display these symptoms are typically prohibited from serving in Echelon, however, exceptions can be made when candidate pilots display remarkable abilities.