Name: Coagulotis glomerati (Galactic common scientific name) – Ivianallis-syxioph (Serez-ex common scientific name) – “Clot-soil” Description: Ivianallis-syxioph is a eukaryotic, photosynthetic microorganism. Because it is single cell and uses chlorophyll b to photosynthesize, it is sometimes described as a green algae. This is only somewhat accurate of a description; I-syxioph is not actually green in colour, not earth native, and uses chitin in its cell wall like a fungus. Under a microscope, mature I-syxioph is spherical in shape, with a thick cell wall and a bright red colour throughout. I-syxioph gametes are flagellated, ovoid, and green. On a macroscopic scale, I-syxioph’s appearance depends on its concentration; smaller mature colonies resemble bright red streaks in mostly unmelted snow, while fully-realized mature colonies form massive biofilms and transform white snow into “clot-soil”– a sticky, cold, dark red substance that smells very faintly of rotting fruit. Colonies of gametes are bright green. I-syxioph gametes and gamete-colonized snow, a small colony of mature cells, and fully grown clot-soil. Behavior: In favourable temperatures (-60℃ to 5℃), I-syxioph is active and photosynthesizes to sustain itself. Below this favourable range, it enters dormancy, gradually causing the clot-soil to lose its colour and texture. Above the temperature range, the algae undergoes meiosis– see “reproduction.” Most strains of I-syxioph used today have been genetically modified to only undergo meiosis in the presence of a specific shifter protein, which is sprayed onto fields before inoculation. This is to prevent uncontrolled, invasive spread in alien biospheres. Tamability: Already about as tame as a microorganism will ever be, several genetically modified strains of I-syxioph exist and are used in shifter agriculture. These modifications include disease and temperature resistance, and increased fertility rates. Where is it found?: Native to Sereven’a, the shifter homeworld, and near-exclusive to Ascended Superhive space. Rarity: In shifter colonies, common. Outside of them, very rare and difficult to acquire– most shifter colonies are reluctant to trade with outsiders, and its temperature range means it’s not useful on temperate or warm planets anyway. Diet/Method of gaining nutrients and energy: Photoautotrophic. I-syxioph photosynthesizes using the pigment chlorophyll b, a form of chlorophyll that predominantly absorbs blue light. I-syxioph chloroplasts have one membrane layer, unlike earth-native chloroplasts. Products?: Colonies transform snow into clot-soil. Together with cyrophilic decomposer / detrivore species and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, clot-soil is a highly nutritional growth medium. Reproduction: In a seasonal environment, I-syxioph cells undergo meiosis at 5 degrees celsius or above, producing green, flagellated gametes. These gametes swim to favourable conditions and fuse with a partner to produce mature cells, which then fall dormant until freezing temperatures return. If the microorganisms are in an environment with especially long seasons, temperatures that never reach 5 degrees, or no seasons at all, meiosis will occur at random in the population instead of seasonally and the clot-soil will constantly have a slight green hue. Size: Mature cells are 40-50 μm in diameter. Gametes are 20-35 μm in length. Weight: n/a Lifespan: Roughly a year per cell. Abilities: I-syxioph owes its red colouration to high concentrations of anthaxin, a carotenoid pigment that not only protects it from radiation damage, but darkens the colour of its colonies so that more heat is absorbed. This heat causes the surrounding snow to melt, creating a sticky, dark red slime and allowing the surrounding plants to absorb liquid water in their roots. This property makes I-syxioph essential to subzero agriculture. Additionally: Very cold resistant Domestic varieties are highly unlikely to lose their anti-invasive genetic modifications Easy to freeze-dry and transport Pleasant colouration Virus resistant Flaws: Restricted to cold biomes Especially high temperatures will kill the microorganism (40℃ or above) Can be devastating to alien biospheres without population control genemods Other: n/a
