I just realized something. C-137 Rick is absolute garbage at working with genetics. Chemistry? Great. Biology in general? Great. Engineering on most levels? Great. Mathematics? Great. Physics? Great. This is a man who can assemble a neutrino bomb blackout drunk off his ass, yet can’t synthesize his own version of Crispr therapy..
This also explains why he can’t anticipate the negative effects of being inside a clone, and isn’t immortal in the sense that he’s not just maintaining failing parts. If he knew his genetics, he’d be able to cure that gagoo under the garage with little to no problem (if it really is “space AIDS”). He’d be able to stop and repair from his aging (probably splicing some DNA repair mechanisms from some sort of extremophile), and he CERTAINLY would have solved the kronenberg situation.
I would argue all Ricks are garbage at it, but lizard Rick, or at least the Rick that transformed lizard Morty is good enough at it. Although he’d be smarter doing general genetic modifications taken from multiple species if he actually wanted to improve something about Morty but I guess it must be more of a “Pickle Rick” situation.
But what about Pickle Rick, you ask?
I hypothesize that he actually just replicated a pickle on the molecular level rather than messing with the sequences themselves. Maybe connected his neurological system with the photosynthesis capabilities of a plant for energy? But pickles themselves are more of a gamete than actual plant systems... Anyway, it’s really fucking dodgy science at best. It’s a wonder he didn’t actually kill himself. That seems like another example of his self destructive impulses, but I’ll leave that for another post.
Yes, he can analyze DNA, as seen in the Beth Froopyland episode with the bird creature, but that’s not hard. He just does it quickly on the go.
Honestly it doesn’t come up enough for him to really care about it, and he hates himself so much I’m not surprised he’s just replacing parts rather than taking the effort to improve anything.