Skip to content

Science 101: Transcription & Translation Ran Away Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

Furious Fungi: I've decided to archive this, then bring it back to life with more appropriate difficulty and terrain ratings and a better way to solve the puzzle. The container is still worth the effort, though. 😎

More
Hidden : 7/29/2015
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

Cache is NOT at the posted coordinates. You'll get wet and probably trespass on my friends' property if you go there.


DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a remarkable molecule.  Each of our cells has a strand of DNA that, if stretched out, would reach about 3 meters in length.  So all of the DNA from all of our cells is about 100 trillion meters long!

All living organisms, from the earliest known, single-celled Archaea to the blue whale contain DNA as the blueprint for their genes.  Even more incredible, the DNA of the millions of different species on Earth is comprised of just four different bases – adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine.  These four bases are represented by the letters A, G, T, and C.  Once they are transcribed into RNA, the T becomes a U.

Different parts of your cell “read” the DNA and translate what they’ve read into amino acids, which make up proteins.  These proteins become the unique physical characteristics that are you (brown eyes, for example). The two-step process is known as transcription and translation.  Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to translate the genetic code given here into amino acids, then find a single letter or single digit code to further translate into coordinates of a geocache.  I have given the zeros for the coordinates; those are not part of the puzzle to be solved.

Here are your coordinates:

44 GCAUGC.UGCAUACAC

124 0 GAG.UUUUUUUUU

 

Happy Hunting!

You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Chmmyr: Gur pbbeqvangrf ner nyernql genafpevorq sbe lbh; lbh unir gb genafyngr gurz gb nzvab npvqf, gura svaq gur nccebcevngr ahzore. Gurer vf n uvqqra yvax va gur qrfpevcgvba gung jvyy uryc lbh n ybg! Svaq: Gurer vf n angheny cngu yrnqvat rnfg-vfu sebz gur cnexvat fcbg. Gurer vf ab arrq gb ohfujunpx. Urnq rnfg ba gur cngu; vg jvyy pheir hc (abegu) sbe n srj srrg, gura n fznyyre cngu jvyy ghea funecyl gb gur jrfg. Gnxr gung naq lbh jvyy or nccebkvzngryl va yvar jvgu TM. Pbbeqvangrf ner IREL fcbggl urer - jura V erghearq gb TM, zl TCFe obhaprq orgjrra 10 - 75 srrg. V'z cbfgvat fbzr cubgbf gung jvyy ubcrshyyl uryc lbh svaq gur pnpur. Ybbx sbe gur pbagnvare va n ubyr ng gur onfr bs n gerr.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)