Name: Dr. Ryuichi Kawabata
Field: Genetic Engineering, Applied Biotechnology
Period of Activity: 1990s–2000s
Known Associations: Hashimoto Laboratory (under Helen Elsevier), later transferred to Shinsei BioSolutions Laboratory (private, Japan)
Kawabata also created a human-compatible version of the iridescence gene. By 2000, the first children were born with shimmering, light-reflective hair, a trait that spread commercially and culturally in elite circles.
Around 1994, Kawabata began developing a new concept: introducing true green coloration into Shedu Cats, a tone previously absent in mammalian pigmentation.
His method combined phycocyanin genes from cyanobacteria with green fluorescent protein (GFP) from jellyfish.
The concept aimed to produce coats with a stable emerald tone under natural light and bright fluorescence under ultraviolet light.
Hashimoto Laboratory, however, did not support this project. While Kawabata’s departure from Hashimoto was quiet and without conflict, he soon accepted funding from Shinsei BioSolutions Laboratory, a private Japanese institute, to continue his "green" research.
At Shinsei BioSolutions, Kawabata initially found promising conditions and financial backing. Early prototypes of green-coated Shedu Cats were produced between 1995–1997.
The situation changed when the laboratory’s owner attempted to market Kawabata’s genetic constructs without his approval.
Kawabata had never signed over gene rights, keeping legal ownership of the construct to himself.
The dispute escalated into a high-profile conflict over intellectual property. In the late 1990s, a scandal briefly surfaced in scientific and business circles, only to quickly disappear from public record. Shortly afterward, Kawabata vanished from sight, and the controversy faded from the media.
Despite the fallout, a handful of the experimental Shedu survived and entered private circulation.
Appearance: Coats in various shades of green — from muted moss-like tones to striking jade iridescence. Under UV light, many specimens glow neon green.
Health Issues:
Severe skin allergies
Retinal dysplasia and progressive vision problems
Autoimmune disorders affecting eyes, skin, and ears
Population: Extremely rare, regarded as genetic curiosities rather than a sustainable line.
Dr. Kawabata’s work with iridescence became a cornerstone of both Shedu breeding and human biotechnology, but his Green Cats remain an anomaly — unstable, fragile, and surrounded by rumors.
The fate of Dr. Ryuichi Kawabata remains unknown. The "Green Project," though largely a failure, left behind a strange lineage: shimmering emerald animals, part miracle, part mistake, forever tied to a vanished scientist and a scandal buried in silence.
The Algae gene is an artificially engineered genetic modification, not a product of natural mutation. It does not occur spontaneously in Shedu populations. All known carriers of this gene trace their ancestry to six foundation cats originally developed within the laboratory of ——— (facility name classified/undisclosed).
Even when a Shedu’s pedigree is incomplete or uncertain, genetic testing can accurately determine its lineage by identifying which of the six original carriers it descends from. This is possible because Algae is one of the few “designer genes” specifically created for visual and experimental purposes.
Genetically, Algae is recessive, meaning a cat must inherit two copies of the gene (one from each parent) for its effects to become visible. When expressed, Algae acts as an overlay, tinting all other coat colors and patterns with green or greenish tones.
The intensity and brightness of coloration are unpredictable and cannot be precisely controlled. Expression may range from subtle, mossy undertones to a vivid, saturated green. On dark coats, the result is typically muted — producing murky, swamp-like hues. Conversely, Algae appears most striking on white coats, on those with extensive dilutions, or on cats with a Tan base color, where it yields a bright, warm, emerald sheen.
A unique hallmark of the Algae gene is its bioluminescent property. Cats expressing it exhibit a soft neon-green glow in low light conditions. The intensity of this luminescence varies between individuals and is considered a side effect of the stabilization method used during the gene’s creation and fixation.
Algae expression may not always cover the entire coat. In some individuals, it appears as irregular green patches over an otherwise normal-colored pelt. In others, it influences only specific markings or pattern genes. In this respect, Algae resembles the Copper gene, which operates on a similar hierarchical level. When both genes are present, they compete for expression, often resulting in mottled or segmented coloration—one region showing the reddish tones of Copper, another the green luminescence of Algae. Certain areas of the coat may even remain untouched by either gene, producing complex chimera-like appearance.