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Deborah Munro, Author

APEX, a Sci-Fi Thriller Set in Rural Oregon

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It all started with a walking stick insect. They have the most fascinating evolutionary history I’ve ever read.

 

walking stick insect

I describe myself as an avid reader, but I am mostly an avid learner. I like to read everything—fiction, nonfiction, magazines, news articles, textbooks, research articles, history books, even instruction manuals. I took one of those Strengths Quest personality profile tests once, and the adjective that came up as my most prominent descriptor was Learner.

From the Strengths Quest book, it says, “People with the strength of Learner love to learn in many areas and simply enjoy the process of learning, more than the topic of what is being learned. They enjoy learning almost anything, or perhaps going deep in only a few things. Either way, learning is fascinating and energizing.” That describes me perfectly, and because of that characteristic, I’ve learned how to do many, many things, and I’ve studied hundreds of diverse topics. One of these topics is genetic engineering, which I find fascinating.

APEX is about genetic engineering, and I want to have readers ponder the question of right to life. Do all creatures on this planet have an equal right to life, or are some more equal than others? We certainly play favorites among existing species, but what if an entirely new species were genetically created, or what if we brought back a species from extinction? Would they have the same rights as existing species? What if they were predatory and wreaked havoc like the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton? Would their rights change based on their behavior? Genetic engineering is making these questions very real and are something we should be thinking about when we forge ahead with technology we don’t fully understand. Crichton often exploited the theme of “just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should,” and I loved his books for that reason.

I was reading a science article about the walking stick insect, and I learned something incredible. At various points in its evolutionary history, the walking stick has lost and re-evolved wings, depending on environmental conditions. In times of plenty, walking sticks lost their wings and developed larger egg sacs, as escaping from predators was not as essential. In lean times, they gained their wings again so as to cover more territory and move more quickly. This is incredible! Although it’s always been assumed that once a species lost a characteristic, the gene would remain forever altered, but now it appears that some gene sequences can remain dormant until needed. I mulled over this for days, wondering what other species besides stick insects might have latent, unexpressed gene sequences, and what would happen if we could turn them back on with genetic engineering? What if, when you turned back on one genetic sequence, like wings on a walking stick, it turned on a whole collection of other, unanticipated characteristics as well? This thought excited me, and I began brainstorming about what creature I could virtually, genetically manipulate and transform it into a modern Frankenstein’s monster?

And thus, APEX was born! If you want to learn what I did in my research and want to know how the story turns out, you’ll have to read my book.

If you enjoyed reading this bit about walking sticks and genetic engineering, sign up for my updates. I intend to regularly post new science-related stories and articles, which I promise will never make you want to drift off into a slumbering stupor.

Of course, there are also links to my longer, more technical journal articles on this author page, too. I think they’re great, so check them out when you’re feeling inquisitive.


Deborah Munro

Deborah Munro is an author, scientist, and president of Munro Medical, a biomedical research and consulting service. Services include:

  • Medical Device Design
  • Intellectual Property and Patents
  • Reports Regulatory Compliance
  • Prototyping and Testing
  • Expert Witnessing

Munro Medical, Biomedical Research & Consulting Services

Deborah Munro

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Deborah Munro is the author of APEX, a contemporary world sci-fi thriller set in rural Oregon.

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Cricket game in New Zealand. Loving the ability to Cricket game in New Zealand. Loving the ability to be in a crowd! 😍
Gorgeous day for kiteboarding. I drive by regularl Gorgeous day for kiteboarding. I drive by regularly, finally stopped to take a video. The water, at its deepest, is about a foot.
Happy Valentine's Day! Chocolate raspberry ganach Happy Valentine's Day! 
Chocolate raspberry ganache pie with Oreo crust.
Instagram post 17844503747527875 Instagram post 17844503747527875
If you want to know more about my twisted sense of If you want to know more about my twisted sense of humor, this made me laugh and laugh and laugh 🤣. 💯
Decaf iced Americano with a shot of vanilla kind o Decaf iced Americano with a shot of vanilla kind of day.
On every walk, there's that one thing you see that On every walk, there's that one thing you see that brightens your day. From my new house, the walk to the bus stop offers this rock sculpture. I think of it as a woman crouching in an ornate cloak. 😍
2020 was a difficult year for most of us, but it a 2020 was a difficult year for most of us, but it also contained many bright spots for me, and I'd like to highlight a few of them.  I started the year in Tonga with my biomed students and my friend Dawn. Amanda became a divemaster and also released her first two singles, and Carolyn graduated with a Master's degree in clinical psychology and is establishing themselves as a counselor. Carolyn's new puppy, Luna, joined the family, making me a granddog-parent twice over (with Simba being my first granddog). I spent the lockdown hiking and knitting, and I even created some how-to videos on socks, which was fun. Once things returned to normal in NZ, I took advantage of the lack of tourists and had a road trip with a friend, taking in all of the south island. I also entered and won the HealthTech Supernode Challenge, providing much needed publicity for my research. I even obtained my New Zealand residency, which enabled me to purchase my first house here sooner than I anticipated. So, here's to us all having a prosperous and joyful 2021! Happy New Year!
We're having oliebollen for our New Year's celebra We're having oliebollen for our New Year's celebration. It's a traditional Dutch doughnut with raisins, and I can confirm they are delicious 😋.
Zoom Christmas with Settlers of Catan and my kids. Zoom Christmas with Settlers of Catan and my kids.
Merry Christmas from New Zealand! It's summer here Merry Christmas from New Zealand! It's summer here and usually warm and sunny, although the next few days will be drizzly. I'll be celebrating with friends, as I can't travel to see my kids in Denver. Instead, @once_upon_a_munro, @amandamunromusic, and I are planning a Zoom Christmas, something I would never have envisioned a year ago. Thank goodness for the digital age we live in!
https://deborahmunroauthor.com/blog/ As a creative https://deborahmunroauthor.com/blog/
As a creative, I well know that feeling of releasing the product of my soul to the world. It’s about as appealing as walking naked down a city street, and on a bad hair day. To create is to be vulnerable, and so it is no wonder that so many of us cringe at the thought of exposing ourselves to critique, judgement, and perhaps even rejection.
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