Dr. Lester Archibald Mortensen
Dr. Lester Archibald Mortensen
Title: Doctor of Xenobiology
Race: Human
Sex: Male
Occupation: Exploring the Galaxy's species
Profession: Scientist
Homeworld: Coruscant
Organization: None
Ship: LAMSEL
Background
The Mortensens were a wealthy family on Coruscant, and their eldest son had the best of everything, including education. Lester was a brilliant young boy, and advanced quickly through his grades. He showed a high aptitude for science, and an excessive interest in non-human species of all sentient levels. Graduating from Coruscant with the Farnwar D'Joolen Award for Academic Excellence in Xeno-biology, he continued on to the Mrlsst Planetary Academy where he distinguished himself among the leading biologists of the time. After exhausting the extensive resources offered by the Academy, he decided to take his studies to their sources. He secured grants from the scientific community to buy and retrofit an Action IV Cargo Hauler into a mobile laboratory.
LAMSEL
The L.A.M.S.E.L., Lester A. Mortensen Species Exploration Laboratory, soon gained recognition as the premiere vessel for the collection and study of species of all sizes and levels of sentience in the Galaxy. Dr. Mortensen would spend years in one planetary system, seeking all life forms possible and going into extensive, detailed studies of entire zoological hierarchies.
The LAMSEL houses a core of eight scientists hand-picked by Dr. Mortensen to lead his experiments. The dozen intern spots offered on board are coveted by students and full fledged scientists alike. Although it does not look like much more than a rusty old hauler on the outside, on the inside it offers pristine halls and state of the art equipment. The lower section of the hold also houses a collection of larger species that are the envy of many a research scientist.
Most recently, Dr. Mortensen has cause tidal waves in the scientific world with his assertion that his previous theories have been proved about near and non human species cellular organelles. He had, during his studies as a student at Mrlsst Planetary Academy, claimed to have noted a difference in the mitochondria of human cells, and those of many species that shared some similarities with the human species. These 'faux-chondria' as he called them, perform the same respiration tasks as mitochondria, and when they are suppressed in the petri dish, their cells die. However, it took him decades, and many test subjects, to prove that there is a tweak in the genetic string that makes up the human mitochondria not present in any other species. A different strand takes the place of the that particular sequence in most, with few exceptions and those seen to pertain to blood type. After countless years of exhaustive research and studying, Dr. Mortensen has found the proof he required, and published his results to the different Universities and Scientific circles around the galaxy.
