wrote in message ...
In article ,
Curious wrote:

It would be nice to genetically-engineer some bacteria to feed on our
stools in our colons. That way we would never need to defecate.

Your stools are mainly composed of bacteria and dead intestinal lining
cells, especially if you eat a typical American diet that is low in
fibre and high in protein and refined grains. So they've already fed
on your stools and turned them into more bacteria.

Besides, defecation is good for you. Low fibre diets are strongly
associated with a range of ailments from the merely painful and
embarrassing like hemorrhoids and anal fissures to the life-threatening
like appendicitis and diverticulitis to colon cancer which is usually
fatal unless detected early.

What I was saying is that these genetically-engineered bacteria can
feed on the stools as they are made. This have the same cleaning
effect as defecating but w/out the need to defecate. IOW,
gene-modified bacteria do that work for you.

Natural bacteria feed on whatever is their. Bacteria could be
gene-modified into "eating" only specfic substances. For example,
there was a strain of gene-modified bacteria to feed on the petroleum
dumps of the sea. If gene-modified, the bacteria can be more
"task-oriented".

(Curious) wrote in message . com...
wrote in message ...
In article ,
Curious wrote:

It would be nice to genetically-engineer some bacteria to feed on our
stools in our colons. That way we would never need to defecate.

Your stools are mainly composed of bacteria and dead intestinal lining
cells, especially if you eat a typical American diet that is low in
fibre and high in protein and refined grains. So they've already fed
on your stools and turned them into more bacteria.

Besides, defecation is good for you. Low fibre diets are strongly
associated with a range of ailments from the merely painful and
embarrassing like hemorrhoids and anal fissures to the life-threatening
like appendicitis and diverticulitis to colon cancer which is usually
fatal unless detected early.

What I was saying is that these genetically-engineered bacteria can
feed on the stools as they are made. This have the same cleaning
effect as defecating but w/out the need to defecate. IOW,
gene-modified bacteria do that work for you.

Natural bacteria feed on whatever is their. Bacteria could be
gene-modified into "eating" only specfic substances. For example,
there was a strain of gene-modified bacteria to feed on the petroleum
dumps of the sea. If gene-modified, the bacteria can be more
"task-oriented".

You'd have to get rid of the bacterial waste and the waste bacteria
somehow. And you'd fart like crazy. All the time.

Mike.

This is sooo silly. If you are not happy with the way God made you, discuss it
with your pastor. Stop wasting our time.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)

(Mike Lyle) wrote in message om...
(Curious) wrote in message . com...
wrote in message ...
In article ,
Curious wrote:

It would be nice to genetically-engineer some bacteria to feed on our
stools in our colons. That way we would never need to defecate.

Your stools are mainly composed of bacteria and dead intestinal lining
cells, especially if you eat a typical American diet that is low in
fibre and high in protein and refined grains. So they've already fed
on your stools and turned them into more bacteria.

Besides, defecation is good for you. Low fibre diets are strongly
associated with a range of ailments from the merely painful and
embarrassing like hemorrhoids and anal fissures to the life-threatening
like appendicitis and diverticulitis to colon cancer which is usually
fatal unless detected early.

What I was saying is that these genetically-engineered bacteria can
feed on the stools as they are made. This have the same cleaning
effect as defecating but w/out the need to defecate. IOW,
gene-modified bacteria do that work for you.

Natural bacteria feed on whatever is their. Bacteria could be
gene-modified into "eating" only specfic substances. For example,
there was a strain of gene-modified bacteria to feed on the petroleum
dumps of the sea. If gene-modified, the bacteria can be more
"task-oriented".

You'd have to get rid of the bacterial waste and the waste bacteria
somehow. And you'd fart like crazy. All the time.

Genetically-engineered bacteria can specifically feed on the waste
products and their odors and convert them to substances the human body
can use. Same with the urinary system. Bacteria can be
genetically-modified so that they feed on urea and other
urine-specific constituents so that one does not need to urinate and
so the waste is converted to useful substacnes the subject can use.
Why not also modify the microbes so that they can feed use necessary
nutrients from plants? That way we won't need to eat.

Mike.

(Curious) wrote in
m:

(Mike Lyle) wrote in message
om...
(Curious) wrote in message
Natural bacteria feed on whatever is their. Bacteria could be
gene-modified into "eating" only specfic substances. For
example, there was a strain of gene-modified bacteria to feed
on the petroleum dumps of the sea. If gene-modified, the
bacteria can be more "task-oriented".

You'd have to get rid of the bacterial waste and the waste
bacteria somehow. And you'd fart like crazy. All the time.

Genetically-engineered bacteria can specifically feed on the waste
products and their odors and convert them to substances the human
body can use. Same with the urinary system. Bacteria can be
genetically-modified so that they feed on urea and other
urine-specific constituents so that one does not need to urinate
and so the waste is converted to useful substacnes the subject can
use. Why not also modify the microbes so that they can feed use
necessary nutrients from plants? That way we won't need to eat.


There is a limit on some of that. Urine is also very important in
maintaining electrolyte balances. Perhaps you could get a bacteria
to turn the urea back into amino acids that your body can use, but
you will still need to do something about the excess of sodium, or
even other salts that your body may want to get rid of. This is not
counting excess water. As far as converting feces and odors into
substances that the body can use, that would require lots of energy.
There is already a system where this occurs, namely the rest of the
environment.

Sean

Sean Houtman wrote in message news:1095192952.JmN+ogXFOrnjnH4ClqAdGw@teranews. ..
(Curious) wrote in
m:

(Mike Lyle) wrote in message
om...
(Curious) wrote in message
Natural bacteria feed on whatever is their. Bacteria could be
gene-modified into "eating" only specfic substances. For
example, there was a strain of gene-modified bacteria to feed
on the petroleum dumps of the sea. If gene-modified, the
bacteria can be more "task-oriented".

You'd have to get rid of the bacterial waste and the waste
bacteria somehow. And you'd fart like crazy. All the time.

Genetically-engineered bacteria can specifically feed on the waste
products and their odors and convert them to substances the human
body can use. Same with the urinary system. Bacteria can be
genetically-modified so that they feed on urea and other
urine-specific constituents so that one does not need to urinate
and so the waste is converted to useful substacnes the subject can
use. Why not also modify the microbes so that they can feed use
necessary nutrients from plants? That way we won't need to eat.

[...]
As far as converting feces and odors into
substances that the body can use, that would require lots of energy.
There is already a system where this occurs, namely the rest of the
environment.

Of course. But I'm enjoying this trip to lunar park. And the idea of
not needing to eat? Spike Milligan territory, and it could be made
into a very funny story. But away from surrealist humo[u]r, you can't
get out more than you put in; and I can't quite visualize the GM
bacteria which would recycle your body-heat and exhaled CO2 for you,
not to mention trifles like shed hair, skin, and nail-clippings. Is it
time to get onto sex yet...?

Mike.

(Mike Lyle) wrote in
om:


As far as converting feces and odors into
substances that the body can use, that would require
lots of
energy. There is already a system where this occurs,
namely the
rest of the environment.

Of course. But I'm enjoying this trip to lunar park. And
the idea
of not needing to eat? Spike Milligan territory, and it
could be
made into a very funny story. But away from surrealist
humo[u]r,
you can't get out more than you put in; and I can't quite
visualize the GM bacteria which would recycle your body-
heat and
exhaled CO2 for you, not to mention trifles like shed
hair, skin,
and nail-clippings. Is it time to get onto sex yet...?

Mike.


You could put some Cyanobacteria in your blood, but you do
need light for them to take care of the CO2. There is some
evidence that many bacteria share plasmids in a sex-like
transaction, so that part is already covered, besides, that
same transaction is how you are going to do the GM.

Sean

You try that, Sean.


"Sean Houtman" wrote in message
news:1095655347.512RUex2R1ahcHuyJgpTGw@teranews...
(Mike Lyle) wrote in
om:


As far as converting feces and odors into
substances that the body can use, that would require
lots of
energy. There is already a system where this occurs,
namely the
rest of the environment.

Of course. But I'm enjoying this trip to lunar park. And
the idea
of not needing to eat? Spike Milligan territory, and it
could be
made into a very funny story. But away from surrealist
humo[u]r,
you can't get out more than you put in; and I can't quite
visualize the GM bacteria which would recycle your body-
heat and
exhaled CO2 for you, not to mention trifles like shed
hair, skin,
and nail-clippings. Is it time to get onto sex yet...?

Mike.


You could put some Cyanobacteria in your blood, but you do
need light for them to take care of the CO2. There is some
evidence that many bacteria share plasmids in a sex-like
transaction, so that part is already covered, besides, that
same transaction is how you are going to do the GM.

Sean

Sean Houtman wrote in message news:1095655347.512RUex2R1ahcHuyJgpTGw@teranews. ..

You could put some Cyanobacteria in your blood, but you do
need light for them to take care of the CO2.

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic. Wouldn't chemosynthetic bacteria be
better for this application?