A multi-pronged strategy.

• First, simple chemical tests would be performed for heavy metals and strong acids/alkalis and to give a general profile of the plant or animal's chemical composition. Gas chromatography should throw-up a number of interesting results and help identify known poisons. This, whilst being careful to identify any specific part of the organism which could be toxic - think of the puffer fish, a delicacy, but deadly if not prepared correctly. - This would filter out some obvious toxic candidates.

• Mice would be fed a diet with the addition of these various food stuffs in a clinical trial like way with a control group fed a known safe diet. Blood workups would be taken, testing for unusual changes including signs of stress and hormone levels. They would be observed for behavioral and digestive changes and any signs of poisoning or infection by parasites. Pregnancies would be allowed to go to term and the newborns examined for any mutation or abnormality (preferably their genomes would be examined for mutations outside the normal statistical range). Eventually culling them and dissection of some would reveal any signs of cancerous growths or other unwanted effects. - Another stage further towards the goal.

• Microbiological screening would be done with a variety of human tissue cell cultures to establish if any toxins present can damage them. Some candidates would be; liver, kidney, smooth and striated muscle tissue, nerve tissue, pancreas and skin.

• Tentatively, human volunteers would gradually introduce some (small at first) samples into their diet, being closely monitored for effects (it might be as well to have a control group here too and make it double blind - ie neither the doctors nor the test-subjects know who's getting the "real thing" till after a the test has gone on for a while). If satisfactory, the amounts in the diets could be increased in stages.

This whole battery of tests would be performed on a variety of samples, soon it should become apparent the sort of toxins present or likely to turn up as a profile of the ecosystem's chemistry becomes clearer. Eventually, assuming any compatible substances are found to be both nutritious and safe a diet could be formulated suitable to sustain life. At that point, flavor, mouth-feel, and smell gain importance.

A multi-pronged strategy.

• First, simple chemical tests would be performed for heavy metals and strong acids/alkalis and to give a general profile of the plant or animal's chemical composition. Gas chromatography should throw-up a number of interesting results and help identify known poisons. This, whilst being careful to identify any specific part of the organism which could be toxic - think of the puffer fish, a delicacy, but deadly if not prepared correctly. - This would filter out some obvious toxic candidates. Look out for chirality too, the "handedness" of molecules makes a big difference to compatibility.

• Mice would be fed a diet with the addition of these various food stuffs in a clinical trial like way with a control group fed a known safe diet. Blood workups would be taken, testing for unusual changes including signs of stress and hormone levels. They would be observed for behavioral and digestive changes and any signs of poisoning or infection by parasites. Pregnancies would be allowed to go to term and the newborns examined for any mutation or abnormality (preferably their genomes would be examined for mutations outside the normal statistical range). Eventually culling them and dissection of some would reveal any signs of cancerous growths or other unwanted effects. - Another stage further towards the goal.

• Microbiological screening would be done with a variety of human tissue cell cultures to establish if any toxins present can damage them. Some candidates would be; liver, kidney, smooth and striated muscle tissue, nerve tissue, pancreas and skin.

• Tentatively, human volunteers would gradually introduce some (small at first) samples into their diet, being closely monitored for effects (it might be as well to have a control group here too and make it double blind - ie neither the doctors nor the test-subjects know who's getting the "real thing" till after a the test has gone on for a while). If satisfactory, the amounts in the diets could be increased in stages.

This whole battery of tests would be performed on a variety of samples, soon it should become apparent the sort of toxins present or likely to turn up as a profile of the ecosystem's chemistry becomes clearer. Eventually, assuming any compatible substances are found to be both nutritious and safe a diet could be formulated suitable to sustain life. At that point, flavor, mouth-feel, and smell gain importance.

A multi-pronged strategy.

• First, simple chemical tests would be performed for heavy metals and strong acids/alkalis and to give a general profile of the plant or animal's chemical composition. Gas chromatography should throw-up a number of interesting results and help identify known poisons. This, whilst being careful to identify any specific part of the organism which could be toxic - think of the puffer fish, a delicacy, but deadly if not prepared correctly.

• Mice would be fed a diet with the addition of these various food stuffs in a clinical trial like way with a control group fed a known safe diet. Blood workups would be taken, testing for unusual changes including signs of stress and hormone levels. They would be observed for behavioral and digestive changes and any signs of poisoning or infection by parasites. Pregnancies would be allowed to go to term and the newborns examined for any mutation or abnormality (preferably their genomes would be examined for mutations outside the normal statistical range). Eventually culling them and dissection of some would reveal any signs of cancerous growths or other unwanted effects.

• Microbiological screening would be done with a variety of human tissue cell cultures to establish if any toxins present can damage them. Some candidates would be; liver, kidney, smooth and striated muscle tissue, nerve tissue, pancreas and skin.

This whole battery of tests would be performed on a variety of samples, soon it should become apparent the sort of toxins present or likely to turn up as a profile of the ecosystem's chemistry becomes clearer. Eventually, assuming any compatible substances are found to be both nutritious and safe a diet could be formulated suitable to sustain life. At that point, flavor, mouth-feel, and smell gain importance.

A multi-pronged strategy.

• First, simple chemical tests would be performed for heavy metals and strong acids/alkalis and to give a general profile of the plant or animal's chemical composition. Gas chromatography should throw-up a number of interesting results and help identify known poisons. This, whilst being careful to identify any specific part of the organism which could be toxic - think of the puffer fish, a delicacy, but deadly if not prepared correctly. - This would filter out some obvious toxic candidates.

• Mice would be fed a diet with the addition of these various food stuffs in a clinical trial like way with a control group fed a known safe diet. Blood workups would be taken, testing for unusual changes including signs of stress and hormone levels. They would be observed for behavioral and digestive changes and any signs of poisoning or infection by parasites. Pregnancies would be allowed to go to term and the newborns examined for any mutation or abnormality (preferably their genomes would be examined for mutations outside the normal statistical range). Eventually culling them and dissection of some would reveal any signs of cancerous growths or other unwanted effects. - Another stage further towards the goal.

• Microbiological screening would be done with a variety of human tissue cell cultures to establish if any toxins present can damage them. Some candidates would be; liver, kidney, smooth and striated muscle tissue, nerve tissue, pancreas and skin.

• Tentatively, human volunteers would gradually introduce some (small at first) samples into their diet, being closely monitored for effects (it might be as well to have a control group here too and make it double blind - ie neither the doctors nor the test-subjects know who's getting the "real thing" till after a the test has gone on for a while). If satisfactory, the amounts in the diets could be increased in stages.

This whole battery of tests would be performed on a variety of samples, soon it should become apparent the sort of toxins present or likely to turn up as a profile of the ecosystem's chemistry becomes clearer. Eventually, assuming any compatible substances are found to be both nutritious and safe a diet could be formulated suitable to sustain life. At that point, flavor, mouth-feel, and smell gain importance.