Hello everyone!

Hello! I was sent here by ostrich160, and I am a DIYbiologist. I LOVE THE IDEA of the game you are creating. Reminds me of something that would be on kickstarter

I study mainly bacteria, and thought I could perhaps give some of my knowledge over

I could mainly help with organelles (I love small cells/viruses). In my opinion I would start from a bunch of proteins to cells but that wouldn't be fun.

I also know of some genetic modification systems that allow cells to become immune to incoming viruses, which might be a big plus and a possible evolvutionary step in the process of making the cell. Then again, this does come from bacteria cells, and might not work as well with eukaryotes.

Another idea to make the game interesting (but too work intensive, I am just making up ideas :)- make there different organelles. Such as we have mitochondra (mini HIGHLY evolved bacteria cells) and the endoplasmic reticulum. What if the mRNA instead of going on the endoplasmic reticulum's ribosomes, they insert the mRNA into micro-prepared de-evolved micro mycoplasmas that would read massive amounts of mRNA with only certain repeat strands. They would tell the other cells to "back off" and preform the duty instructed by that certain RNA fragment. This could be delivery of proteins to the cell wall (making golgi useless) or the idea I was thinking of, making them like drones that could attack other cells.

Thanks for making such a wonderful project! (excuse my bad spelling, made this on the rush)

-Koeng

Welcome aboard on spaceship Thrive, Koeng!

WilliamstheJohn wrote:

Welcome aboard on spaceship Thrive, Koeng!

Yes indeed. Yes indeed.

Your skills will be helpful for the most part, since we only have about a handful of microbe experts left after the others dropped out. The ideas could be worked with a bit later in development, or added later after other stages if the developers get impatient. Since you made up the idea, what would you name that organelle?

Anyway, after the microbe stage is said and done, what will you do after that? Do you have knowledge of simple multicellular life? Y'know, a little before the cells in the organism get specialized (having special purposes in the organism)?

I would name it a dronacule

For multicellular, I could help in the beginning by perhaps referring model organisms and some possible routes that could help curve the organism's evolution. Before they become specialized... I think that's just a colony. Simplest animal I know is spongilla. But I do know some organisms once you get a little farther done the line...

Such as C. Elegans can eat bacteria expressing RNAi and this can silence genes inside the worm. Like a random event when one of your organism's genes are silenced, possibly reversing this if the gene was a repressor and then over produced a certain gene that could help or hurt your organism.

Or, another example with a hyrda (no not that giant monster, but a small freshwater organism). They are very very very simple, and this simplicity has a unique ability. First, they can reproduce by budding, and second they are immortal :), although I do not know if the same principles would go for a more complex organism. Very helpful in tribal stage (elders stay alive) but killer in civilization (over population)

Another idea that I just wanted to throw out there was that another organization called "OpenWorm" are creating an actual virtual organism. Perhaps add a mod that recreates this IN the game and then directs its evolution. That would call for more computer power then probably everyone here has, but would be ULTRA realistic, since the worm they are creating is actually going to replicate everything that happens in the real thing. Add a cell simulator then protein simulator then an atomic simulator and you got yourself the real thing. sorry I am probably getting ahead of myself xD... I do have a lot of idea though

Koeng

[quote="Koeng"]

Or, another example with a hyrda (no not that giant monster, but a small freshwater organism). They are very very very simple, and this simplicity has a unique ability. First, they can reproduce by budding, and second they are immortal :), although I do not know if the same principles would go for a more complex organism. Very helpful in tribal stage (elders stay alive) but killer in civilization (over population)

[/quote]

Welcome to the team.

I know of the hydra, and all i can say about the immortality statement is that they are only, as i would put it, semi-imortal. Meaning that they can live forever, provided there is nothing in the enviroment that can effect their mortality rate, such as food supply shortages, predators, ect. thats just my opinion though.

That still aplies for multicelular creatures. If a creature gets damaged enough, it will sie, no matter how awesome it is.

On the other hand, individual cells being inmortal (on the sense that they dont die from age) doesent mean the creature will too. the cells will get damaged and die eventually. The key for inmortality is being able to regenerate any cell that might die, and doing so without any copying error. We age because when new cells get born, some mistakes on the dna appear. Over the years, that corruption makes averything worse. If a creature solved that problem (like one species of jelifish does), it will be able to live forever.

However, learning is done mostly on childhood, before the adult stage, so creatures that spend most of its time as adults won't be able to learn much (it will be harder)