Binding Agent

Organelle Details
Binding Agent
Base Cost (MP)	55
Requires Nucleus	Yes
Processes	None
Enzymes	None
Size (Hexes)	1
Osmoregulation Cost	1
Storage	1
Unique	Yes
Upgrades	None
Internal Name	bindingAgent

The binding agent allows your cell and others of its species to build a cell colony where the cells share the compounds they absorb and produce with each other. While in a colony, you can't divide your cell and enter the editor, so you will need to unbind from your colony before doing so. Large cell colonies are the way towards multicellularity."

Requirements

A cell must have a nucleus to evolve Binding Agents.

Processes

No processes.

Modifications

No modifications.

Effects

Possessing binding agents allows cells to enter Binding Mode which is used by the species to form colonies. This is ability is required to progress into later stages. Binding mode consumes 2 ATP per second while active, and is deactivated on contact with cells of the same species, or when manually deactivated.

Cells in a colony will share their resources, dividing them equally between all cells, and have reduced osmoregulation per additional cell in the colony. The osmoregulation reduction is calculated with the following equation; Cell Osmoregulation Cost * 20.0 / (20.0 + Total Colony Members). This means that a cell with 50 osmoregulation cost in a colony with 5 members would have 40 osmoregulation cost.

Upgrades

No Upgrades.

Strategy

The ability to form colonies is powerful, especially so for photosynthetic organisms. Every additional cell in a colony reduces overall osmoregulation cost, which means greater energy efficiency. This means that photosynthesizers will produce glucose at a faster rate, and predatory colonies will be able to go for longer between meals.

Catching up with allied cells to bind with can be difficult however, so it may be fruitful to use a Signalling Agent to call allies to your location to make colony formation a breeze.

Scientific Background

TBA