Cross Species Genetics: Raisa Karim, Anni Li, Katie Shane

Dr. Curt Connors: I’m not a cripple, I’m a former scientist and I’m the world’s foremost authority on herpetology. That’s reptiles, for those of you who don’t know. But like the Parkinson’s patient who watches on in horror as her body slowly betrays her, or the man with macular degeneration who’s eye grow dimer each day, I long to fix myself. I want to create a world without weakness. Anyone care to venture a guess just how?

[one of the interns put up their hand]

Dr. Curt Connors: Yes?

OsCorp Intern: Stem cells?

Dr. Curt Connors: Promising, but the solution I’, thinking of is more radical.

[the interns all look at each other]

Dr. Curt Connors: No one?

Peter Parker: Cross-species genetics.

[everyone turns and looks at Peter in the back of the group, Gwen looks at her list of intern names]

Peter Parker: A person gets Parkinson’s when the brain cells that produce dopamine start to disappear. But the zebrafish has the ability to regenerate cells on command. If you can somehow five this ability to the woman you’re talking about, that’s that. SHe’s….she’s curing herself.

Cross species genetics may possibly be successful with advances in science. In The Amazing Spiderman, Dr. Connors stresses that through cross species genetics, doctors can cure patients who have succumbed to irreversible diseases such as Parkinsons. On the surface cross species genetics seems feasible, however with the technology that exists today, the two species exchanging DNA would have to be at least 93% similar to each other to yield successful results. This is means that a reptile-mammal DNA exchange is not possible, at least for the time being.

As mentioned in the quote above, cross species genetics could be used to cure those with debilitating conditions, or perhaps even allow those who have lost limbs to grow back their own. Extensive animal testing would have to be conducted before ever allowing it to be used on humans.