06-13-03 06:17
No 439661
I know this may sound retarded, but I have to ask. There has to bee a certain gene that produces THC in cannabis sativa/indica right? I know this would take a professional lab, but does anybee think it (that gene) could bee isolated and spliced into another plant...say kudzu? This is way out of the scope of my abilities, but maybee it has promise?
D.A.R.E. = Drugs Are Really Exciting
(Newbee)
06-13-03 06:30
No 439663
But seriously, it probably could be done, in the same way as curing cancer could be done. Genetics is way more complicated than it seems at first glance.. Sure they've made glow in the dark tobacco and whatnot, but to actually isolate a trait and have it produce the same effect in test subject (gene-ee?) is not a simple thing.
It's like chemistry taken to the next level.
In fact, I know a guy working on that cancer problem, I'll ask em' to work on this as soon as he finishes that.
T
(Stranger)
06-13-03 07:35
No 439668
Cool! When he's done curing cancer and hybrid kudzu-indica has taken over the world, can you please ask him to splice coca with crabgrass?
Thanks. <holding my breath>
(Hive Bee)
06-13-03 10:29
No 439690
Definitely belongs in general discourse or the couch, but.. I believe that biosynthesis of precursors and drugs from genetically altered plants, bacteria, and fungi will be the future of clandestine production.
(Hive Addict)
06-13-03 11:03
No 439698
They have made bacteria(they introduced some insulin gene to em or something) to produce insulin which is very complex molecule with formula starting C254H... if i remember correct
THC cocaine and morphine aren't nearly as complex molecules,maybe it's possible to alter some bacteria to produce these kind of stuff also,bacteria grows and multiplies very fast,mass production would be easy...
For those about to synth,we salute you
(Stranger)
06-13-03 13:34
No 439734
All good in theory, but insulin is a protein, so it is made directly by translation of RNA. THC is the product of a (probably complex) biochemical pathway involving a number of enzymes which start with something (relatively) simple and convert it steps into THC. In other words, the plants are like little drug labs, carrying out the synthesis in steps, taking the product of one enzymatic reaction to use in the next. Difference is, they dont have too many troubles with precursor aquisition... lucky bloody plants...
Anyway, to have bacteria produce THC, you'd have to isolate all the genes from the plant that encode the neccessary enzymes, and then manage to get them all onto plasmids, and then get all of the plasmids made into the same bacterium, and then get them to express the genes, and then isolate the product from a mixture of everything else the cells produce... it'd be ugly. And expensive - enzymes and other biochemical reagents needed for this sort of thing can cost thousands of dollars per gram.
It's relatively easy to get bacteria to produce proteins (eg. insulin) for you. Getting simpler molecues is where things are much harder.
(Hive Bee)
06-14-03 04:34
No 439895
They're already doing that with vegetables.
Just work it baby!
(Hive Bee)
06-14-03 05:33
No 439902
In case you havent heard, you can graft the root of a pot plant onto the stalk of a barley vine and it will produce THC.
you just extract it from some part of the barley vine...cant remember which part.
It aint bullshit, I read it on overgrow or someplace like that.
(Newbee)
06-14-03 06:25
No 439911
"One of the most persistent myths in marijuana lore concerns grafting Cannabis to its closest relative. Humulus, the hops plant of beer-making fame. The myth is that a hops scion (shoot or top portion of the stem) grafted to a marijuana stock (lower stem and root) will contain the active ingredients of marijuana. The beauty of such a graft is that it would be difficult to identify as marijuana and, possible, the plant would not be covered under marijuana statutes. Unfortunately, the myth is false. It is possible to successfully graft Cannabis with Humulus, but the hops portion will not contain any cannabinoids."
http://www.sky.org/data/grow/c18.html
And this thread is quite off topic for the location....
T