Axlotl tank
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Axlotl tanks are a technology in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert in the 'Dune' series.
Axlotl tanks are produced by the Bene Tleilax and serve as wombs in which a clone or ghola can be grown; in later books the axlotl tanks have been upgraded to be capable of producing the spice melange. During the final two Dune books, it is remarked that nobody has ever seen a Tleilaxu female -- this is because females in Tleilaxu society are taken and turned into axlotl tanks by a process of genetic mutation. In essence, the women become huge, immobile wombs which are then used by the Tleilaxu Masters to grow whatever biological products are required, this being the reason why nobody has ever been able to duplicate the technology; however, in the final book Chapterhouse Dune the Tleilaxu Master Scytale is forced to reveal the means of creating the tanks to the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood.
In the Prelude to Dune series of novels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, the Tleilaxu invade the planet Ix on the orders of the Emperor Elrood IX. The Tleilaxu attempted to create artificial melange (or "Amal" as they called) the best results were gained by using a Bene Gesserit sister to create the axlotl tank.