Physical Description: A touch taller then average at 5�7�, Tina is naturally a rather slim woman although her work obsession has deposited a bit more weight onto her form. Dark blonde with sunny hazel eyes, her cheerful nature can easily be seen in the smile lines that prematurely crease her sun-darkened skin. While no stunning beauty, her cheerful disposition enhances average looks and makes her appear quite pretty to her acquaintances.

Personality: Laid back and friendly, Tina takes the world as it comes and tries to make the best of things. That�s not to say she isn�t ambitious � she is very passionate about her work and puts a lot of herself into it. She�s an independent sort, confident in herself and not requiring the praises of others to feel good about the things she does. While she may not be the best mom out there, she loves her kids and tries to make sure they have a supportive environment to grow up in.

Background: Even at an early age, Tina knew she loved science. Growing up in a highly technically trained family, the girl always had lofty goals for herself. As early as high school, she was taking classes at the nearby university and working a couple of hours a week in one of the research laboratories.

Through one of the post docs in the lab, Tina learned of Dr. Pirinelli and his controversial work. The bioinorganic trained Ph.D. had been part of a somewhat rouge project that was in the process of being disbanded. The team had been tinkering with adaptive enzymology that went over the bounds of PHG regulations. She found out that Geoff was being sent to a far space colony in return for getting off easy with the science board.

Intrigued by his work, the now young undergrad did all she could to be placed on his research team. Despite the fact she was barely old enough to make the journey herself and it seemed as if she was throwing her future career away, she managed to convince both her parents and Dr. Pirinelli that she deserved to go. Young and enthusiastic, she eagerly began her work helping with the modest genetic tinkering required to adapt terran flora and fauna to their new planet.

With the discovery of the fire lizards, the Pirinelli lab was one of the first to switch over to studying the odd native critters. Involved in both the mentasynth and wher endeavors, Tina has really been with the Dragon Project from any conceivable beginning you could imagine. Her early work mainly revolved around the biochemistry behind phosphate rock conversion to a flame emission. She received her doctorate status at the beginning of the Project when she was working in Kitti Ping�s lab and cracked the promoter-like regions that governed the �flame cascade� in the fire lizard�s second stomach.

Though Tina never really felt like settling down, in the early years of the colony she fulfilled her genetic duty by having two kids. Each born to a different father, Jenna and Bradley are about the only things in the universe she cares about as much as her work. It hasn�t been easy the past few years, cranking out long hours in the lab and trying to be a single mom. They are one of the reasons she never applied to be a candidate herself. That, plus she knew while having one of the dragons might give her some insight, it would also narrow her point of view and inhibit her work.

She has really enjoyed her recent change of roles to study the dragons at the organism-level. It has been immensely gratifying to see all the hard work she and her coworkers have done pay off in such a magnificent way. She is particularly excited to see if her own studies pay off, and if the dragons can produce viable flame. So far, they have not yet reached the developmental stage where her �flame cascade� has been activated.

Family/Friends:
Jenna/8/daughter/NL
Bradley/6/son/NL
Prof. Geoff
Pirinelli/52/Sr. Project Scientist/NL

Hobbies & Skills: In addition to her work and kids, both which she absolutely adores, Tina loves photography and cinematography. The hobby crosses over well with her work, and she�s done a number of documentaries on fire lizard behavior as well as the dragons� development.

If your persona were a song, the title: �Don�t call me baby�

Pets: Wild-born green Cerevisiae and engineered brown Pombe.