Post by Violet Shoales on Sept 14, 2009 17:38:47 GMT -5
The Progenitor virus, also known as the Founder or Mother virus, is the first of the mutagenic viruses, and the basis for all of the ones that followed.
According to the series timeline, it was discovered on December 4, 1967, by Dr. Edward Ashford, Dr. James Marcus, and Lord Ozwell E. Spencer, within a flower found only in the ruins of the Ndipaya civilization. Though Ashford wanted to use the virus' regenerative abilities to help the handicapped, Spencer wanted to use it for the bio-weapons projects, when Marcus only wanted to work on his research, after Ashford's death in 1968, they were able to begin their desired research. The only known survivor of an experiment involving Progenitor is Lisa Trevor, who bonded with the virus in a way that baffled everyone involved with the project.
It produces rapid and uncontrollable mutation in a host's genetic code, but the mutations were not coordinated enough to produce effective BOWs. In hosts with a genetic structure less complex than humans, mutations are less pronounced, and usually restricted to increases in size and aggression. In order to enhance the virus's mutagenic properties, Umbrella created a variant of it through synthesizing it with the Ebola virus, but this strain retained Ebola's photosensitivity.
According to the series timeline, it was discovered on December 4, 1967, by Dr. Edward Ashford, Dr. James Marcus, and Lord Ozwell E. Spencer, within a flower found only in the ruins of the Ndipaya civilization. Though Ashford wanted to use the virus' regenerative abilities to help the handicapped, Spencer wanted to use it for the bio-weapons projects, when Marcus only wanted to work on his research, after Ashford's death in 1968, they were able to begin their desired research. The only known survivor of an experiment involving Progenitor is Lisa Trevor, who bonded with the virus in a way that baffled everyone involved with the project.
It produces rapid and uncontrollable mutation in a host's genetic code, but the mutations were not coordinated enough to produce effective BOWs. In hosts with a genetic structure less complex than humans, mutations are less pronounced, and usually restricted to increases in size and aggression. In order to enhance the virus's mutagenic properties, Umbrella created a variant of it through synthesizing it with the Ebola virus, but this strain retained Ebola's photosensitivity.
