Reading the fic again, it is unclear -the Machine was an obvious inspiration ("We stick someone in the biomolding machine and they come out changed") but wheter the relation is closer.
Still, this looks like it may be an actual accidental discovery: Someone tries to revert the catgirl process, which fails, of course, as it is a biomod. But eventuallly somehow they manage to get a catgirl to return to his original gender, and the process grows from that. I think it should be a different biomold machine for each change -one for catboys, one for wolf-to-fox anthros, one so aquatic Monsters of the Black Lagoon turn amphibian and so can breathe air...
This first machine would be done by someone who is working on the catgirls. Jenga is the one everyone thinks when "catgirl research" come up, but as you said they are more into FTL physics and computer research, not the biological sciences. Who else is there? Well, the other two obvious are the other two catgilr grous, the Cargirl nuns (not right for research, but they are interested in healign the catgilr's traumas, so they could fund the research?) or a as yet unnamed biology lab in Liberatrix.
Edit: We have derailed the Rockhounds playground long enough, lets move the discussion to its own lawn.
Still, this looks like it may be an actual accidental discovery: Someone tries to revert the catgirl process, which fails, of course, as it is a biomod. But eventuallly somehow they manage to get a catgirl to return to his original gender, and the process grows from that. I think it should be a different biomold machine for each change -one for catboys, one for wolf-to-fox anthros, one so aquatic Monsters of the Black Lagoon turn amphibian and so can breathe air...
This first machine would be done by someone who is working on the catgirls. Jenga is the one everyone thinks when "catgirl research" come up, but as you said they are more into FTL physics and computer research, not the biological sciences. Who else is there? Well, the other two obvious are the other two catgilr grous, the Cargirl nuns (not right for research, but they are interested in healign the catgilr's traumas, so they could fund the research?) or a as yet unnamed biology lab in Liberatrix.
Edit: We have derailed the Rockhounds playground long enough, lets move the discussion to its own lawn.