biotechnological risk to civilization theme

People come up with a nifty way to modify living organisms using technology, but there are consequences, unforeseen or otherwise, and everybody dies.

4 total · 2 major · 2 minor

StoryLevelMotivation
movie: Dark Planet (1997) major It was revealed at the film's conclusion that the whole purpose of the Benedict's mission to find a new home for humanity on account that all life on Earth would soon perish in a biotechnological cataclysm. The nature of the cataclysm is elaborate: A viral organism that was produced quite accidentally when Rebel chemical agents mingled with Alpha biological weapon materials was poised to destroy all life on Earth.
tng2x18 major A colony of clones, known as the Mariposans, were within a few generations of dying out because of replicative fading (i.e. each subsequent generation introduces additional minor flaws in the genetic code).
movie: Doom (2005) minor Samantha speculated that the Ancient Martians destroyed themselves when their genetic enhancement experiments went out of control, resulting in everyone being turned into monstrosities.
tz1985e1x20a minor There was a remaining 20% probability involved destruction of the biosphere with man-made pathogens.