Aw, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae is cute (link). Plus he has the wonderful ability to change sugar into alcohol. Perhaps it's possible to market yeast injections as a diet aid and cheap buzz? We'd have to find a way to keep one's immune system from attacking it. And we'd have to make sure it doesn't get out of control and convert all of your blood sugar into alcohol.
I'm not sure about the first issue - I guess an implant may work that has yeast on the inside and a sugar-permiable skin. If designed well this could be the solution to the gold standard of body modification: beer-filled breasts.
The second issue is less difficult to design around. Either you can kill off the yeast once blood alcohol level gets too high, or you could seperate nutrition from pleasure. Certain sugars can't be broken down by yeast - lactose, for example. Just make sure you eat enough lactose to survive, and not so much fermentable suger that you overdose.-- Worldgineer, Mar 28 2005 Saccharomyces Cerevisiae http://www.giantmic...s/beerandbread.html [Worldgineer, Mar 28 2005] The rumen as an intoxicatory organ. http://www.ncbi.nlm...t&list_uids=3286594 [bungston, Mar 29 2005] Auto-brewery syndrome http://www.ncbi.nlm...76182&dopt=Abstract"Over the years, many determinations of endogenous ethanol have been made, and in a few rare instances (Japanese subjects with very serious yeast infections) an abnormally high ethanol concentration (> 80 mg/dl) has been reported. In these atypical individuals, endogenous ethanol appeared to have been produced after they had eaten carbohydrate-rich foods. A particular genetic polymorphism resulting in reduced activity of enzymes involved in hepatic metabolism of ethanol and a negligible first-pass metabolism might explain ethnic differences in rates of endogenous ethanol production and clearance." [robinism, Apr 05 2005] Peeing beer https://www.vice.co...ource=vicetwitterusOk, not as appetizing as other options. [Worldgineer, Feb 27 2020] Does one 'need' lactose to survive? My g/f has no patience for it.-- RayfordSteele, Mar 28 2005 Maltodextrine doesn't ferment - I believe it's made from corn starch. Or she can just live life a bit tipsy and eat regular sugars.-- Worldgineer, Mar 28 2005 "Tha'sh not fat, oh no no no no. I'm jush carrying a few extra poundsh of yeasht..."-- Basepair, Mar 28 2005 "Oh my god - I'm drunk AND I'm rising..."-- Basepair, Mar 28 2005 I'm sorry, did you say beer-filled breasts? That's all well and good for men, but I'm not going to suckle on another woman's breast for beer. I guess a breast pump would be a good idea.-- Machiavelli, Mar 28 2005 A breast pump would work fairly well, or you could install a tap.-- Worldgineer, Mar 28 2005 If you let yeast at the oxygen, they will eat sugar just like you and me. You would need to devote an area of the bdoy that could stand going without oxygen for this experiment. You would need some pretty drastic measures to keep the immune system at bay. I think this would all make the yeast happy, anyway.-- bungston, Mar 28 2005 Isn't oxygen bound to red blood cells, not freely wandering around in the blood?-- Worldgineer, Mar 28 2005 [Worldgineer], you've really foamed over the top with this one.
Without weighing in on the technical merits of the idea, may I petition for some variation that can turn my already stored beers around my waistline back into readily accessible beer ?-- normzone, Mar 28 2005 Install a tap, yes. It would be infinitely cooler to whip one of those out at a party instead of a breast pump.-- Machiavelli, Mar 29 2005 [norm] Unless I'm mistaken, this product will work nicely for that. I believe that as blood sugar is lowered, fat reserves are converted back to sugars. So, in effect you'll be able to reclaim those beers and enjoy them again.
[Mach] You're coming quite close to describing the perfect party.-- Worldgineer, Mar 29 2005 easier with the flesh eating bacteria. Adopt them to fat cells and test them on sex offenders?-- theircompetitor, Mar 29 2005 (shivers) [tc], please do a little Google image search on flesh eating bacteria (or dont. really - don't). Your sex offenders will certainly not be invited to our party.-- Worldgineer, Mar 29 2005 I was commenting on the diet aspect-- theircompetitor, Mar 29 2005 Yes. I am no longer hungry. Thank you.-- Worldgineer, Mar 29 2005 It's funny.......Humans redesigning themselves has been touted as the next logical step in our evolution. This would certainly be a popular fad, at least, when body modifications get to the John Varley level.
In some of his later fiction, body modifications are done on much the same level as tatoo shops, beauty parlors, cosmetic surgery, and home hair dye kits are today.
" Dudes, I am SO on a diet. Who needs a refill ? "-- normzone, Mar 29 2005 What are you talking about, [World]? It *is* a perfect party when I'm involved. Sheesh.-- Machiavelli, Mar 29 2005 Oxygen wanders freely in the blood. Dissolved oxygen in the blood (pO2) is in equilibrium with that bound to hemoglobin. Consider that the hemoglobin must let go of the oxygen in order for it to get into the mitochondria.
It occurred to me that animals with rumens run the risk of intoxication if yeast take over their stomachs. Linked is a research project where they got baby cows drunk in this manner.
Rather than have the yeast in the blood, I think it could be possible to modify the colon using anibiotics and adjustment to the pH such that it is analogous to a rumen, and a hospitable habitat for yeast. One would not need any immunosuppression. You could be your own keg. Ingestion of hops might also be helpful. Overintoxication could be corrected with judicious use of cathartics.
You would want to have this party outside.-- bungston, Mar 29 2005 I worry a little about carbon dioxide bubbles. Fizzy blood is probably not a good idea. I'm sure there will be a solution though.-- RobertKidney, Mar 29 2005 I'm wondering how CO2 is normally handled in blood from normal cell activity. I assume it dissolves and is rejected through the lungs. For the implant method, a relief valve should be included in the tap.
[bung] Good points. If we can't get past the oxygen issue we'll just have to do away with the blood part of this. Your digestive tract method sounds like it could work well.-- Worldgineer, Mar 29 2005 CO2 is also handled by the kidneys. There is more to your idea than first appears, [Worldgineer].-- reensure, Mar 30 2005 Yeah, but if the CO2 comes off as a gas, which it probably will, that will lead to immediate blood pressure drop, and certain death.-- natewill, Mar 30 2005 Why would it come off as a gas? Isn't it secreted through the cell wall just like any other cell?-- Worldgineer, Mar 30 2005 CO2 is dissolved in the blood and comes out of solution in the lungs.-- bungston, Mar 30 2005 [Bungston's] idea sounds similar to autobrewery syndrome. (see link)-- robinism, Apr 05 2005 That's exciting that it exists. We now need only tame the human brewery.-- Worldgineer, Apr 06 2005 There are many people who, probably erroneously, claim that yeast in their internal environments, is precisely their problem, though of course it's Candida. A major problem with this idea is that the potential market for this would include people with such beliefs.-- nineteenthly, Mar 14 2009 random, halfbakery