Hydrogenase
| Organelle Details | |
|---|---|
| Hydrogenase |  |
| File:HydrogenaseOrganelle.png | |
| Base Cost (MP) | 45 |
| Requires Nucleus | No |
| Processes | Clostridial Fermentation |
| Enzymes | None |
| Size (Hexes) | 1 |
| Osmoregulation Cost | 1 |
| Storage | 0.5 |
| Unique | No |
| Upgrades | None |
| Internal Name | hydrogenase |
Hydrogenase perform Clostridial Fermentation, a form of Anaerobic Respiration. It is the conversion of Glucose 
into ATP 
. It is the first glucose-processing part the player has, and currently serves as the only anaerobic glucose-burning part.
Requirements
Starting part, no requirements.
Processes
Clostridial Fermentation: Glucose → ATP
A method of energy production, without requiring Oxygen 
but when it is present this is inferior to Metabolosomes. Requires a steady influx of Glucose .
Modifications
No modifications.
Effects
No effects.
Upgrades
No upgrades.
Strategy
A starting part, hydrogenase will be the fundamental glucose-processing part for an anoxygenic atmosphere, allowing players to take advantage of the initially abundant glucose clouds. Their constant energy production, unbounded by any atmospheric compound, makes it a very versatile and important part for low-energy prokaryotes. Players wishing to utilize glucose should generally adapt to utilize clostridial fermentation.
Eventually, it is probably best if hydrogenase begins to be replaced with metabolosomes. Because of their aerobic nature, metabolosomes are much more efficient than hydrogenase - and taking advantage of oxygen is an important part of progressing towards becoming a eukaryote, and eventually, multicellular.
It is important to be mindful of the fact that you will likely be replacing hydrogenases once your world is oxygenic. Spamming hydrogenases could result in several generations of deleting and replacing parts once your world becomes oxygenated. As such, pairing some hydrogenase with another metabolic process, such as chemosynthesis, or maintaining a relatively low-energy organism might be a beneficial strategy. As the world becomes more oxygenated, hydrogenase would probably work best in deeper, less oxygen-rich patches.
Scientific Background
Clostridial fermentation is present in Clostridia, a diverse and loosely defined group of prokaryotes defined by the metabolic process. It is often used in biochemical, food, and biofuel production, and is used in wastewater treatment and soil rejuvenation efforts. Though clostridial fermentation looks different across different groups of bacteria, the general formula looks like:
C6H12O6→2C2H5OH+2CO2+2H2
Or, glucose being turned to two ethanol, two carbon dioxide, and two hydrogen. Glucose is broken down through substrate-level phosphorylation, and like other fermentation methods, important aspects of gylcolysis can be maintained even under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation is likely a very ancient metabolic strategy on Earth. Though hydrogenase does play a role in clostridial fermentation, responsible for waste management and the production of hydrogen, it technically isn’t the fundamental enzyme for the process. Other enzymes, such as pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (POR), play a more unique and central role in anaerobic fermentation; though, due to their relative difficulty to represent in game, a more familiar and manageable named enzyme was chosen.