Homo panacea

The 'scientific' name for the result of the infection of a human with the alpha strain. Such a person is sometimes referred to as an 'alpha'. Homo panacea is called such because the person is effectively immortal and immune to nearly all forms of disease, including increased radiation and poison tolerance.

The alpha strain, specifically, is the viral chain that converts a human into homo panacea, though most refer to them as alpha humans, or simply alpha strain. It was developed as a result of the Prometheus Accords. From the completion of the protocols set forth in those talks onwards, homo sapiens panacea has been the dominant branch of humanity ever since - even after the Purge.

The alpha strain modifies the human genome in order to grant the following benefits:

• True immortality, and eternal youth. All seven aging problems are corrected. One, dubbed the suicide problem, remains untreated.
• Near immunity to almost all forms of prion, viral, and bacteriological diseases.
• Increased radiation tolerance
• Increased resistance to hostile chemicals

If a member of homo panacea does not receive adequate nutrition and care, she does end up having a lifespan, typically between two and six centuries depending on how harsh.

Further enhancements to the alpha strain were made, but these effects were not universal in scope, and had no overarching project or goal behind them such as the beta strain, gamma strain, or delta project. Many of these were cosmetic in nature, but some involved raw sensory, physical or mental enhancements.