Biochemistry

Description

Biochemistry is the study of all biological and chemical aspects regarding the Apocalypse: the aliens, their organic equipment, and their environment.

The end goal of most Biochemistry research is the Toxigun, although the lategame topics that allow you to progress through the Alien Dimension also fall under this heading.

While the Toxigun is the most powerful weapon in the game, and as such Biochemistry is generally worth doing, there isn't all that much of it to do as most projects are quite fast. After the first few weeks, your research will be limited by the progression of alien types rather than X-Com's research power; as such, multiple labs are unnecessary (a single standard lab will suffice until the advanced lab is built, and can then be dismantled as superfluous). If you don't want the Toxigun, you don't even need the advanced lab.

Projects

Note that aliens must each be researched twice, once each for their living and dead states. If a requirement or future path is written in italics, only one of the requirements must be met to unlock the later tech.

Topic	Research Cost	Required Bio-lab	Type	Direct Prerequisites	Research Directly Requiring
Anthropod	8,000/12,000	Standard	Autopsy/Creature	Recovered Corpse/Creature	Advanced Biochemistry Lab, The Real Alien Threat
Brainsucker	7,000/9,000	Standard	Autopsy/Creature	Recovered Corpse/Creature	Advanced Biochemistry Lab, The Real Alien Threat
Multiworm	9,000/15,000	Standard	Autopsy/Creature	Recovered Corpse/Creature	Advanced Biochemistry Lab, The Alien Genetic Structure (autopsy only), The Alien Life Cycle
Multiworm Egg	8,000/12,000	Standard	Autopsy/Creature	Recovered Corpse/Creature	Advanced Biochemistry Lab, The Alien Genetic Structure (autopsy only), The Real Alien Threat
Hyperworm	6,000/9,000	Standard	Autopsy/Creature	Recovered Corpse/Creature	Advanced Biochemistry Lab, The Alien Genetic Structure (autopsy only), The Alien Life Cycle
Chrysalis	8,000/12,000	Standard	Autopsy/Creature	Recovered Corpse/Creature	Advanced Biochemistry Lab, The Alien Life Cycle
Skeletoid	10,000/15,000	Standard	Autopsy/Creature	Recovered Corpse/Creature	Advanced Biochemistry Lab, The Real Alien Threat
Micronoid Aggregate	20,000/26,000	Standard	Autopsy/Creature	Recovered Corpse/Creature	Advanced Biochemistry Lab, The Real Alien Threat
Popper	6,000/9,000	Standard	Autopsy/Creature	Recovered Corpse/Creature	Advanced Biochemistry Lab, The Real Alien Threat
Spitter	6,000/9,000	Standard	Autopsy/Creature	Recovered Corpse/Creature	Advanced Biochemistry Lab, The Real Alien Threat
Megaspawn	12,000/20,000	Advanced	Autopsy/Creature	Recovered Corpse/Creature	The Real Alien Threat
Psimorph	12,000/20,000	Advanced	Autopsy/Creature	Recovered Corpse/Creature	The Real Alien Threat
Queenspawn	15,000/25,000	Advanced	Autopsy/Creature	Recovered Corpse/Creature	Alien Gas
Overspawn	20,000	Advanced	Autopsy	Overspawn Drop	None
The Alien Genetic Structure	25,000	Standard	Concept	Multiworm Egg Autopsy, Multiworm Autopsy or Hyperworm Autopsy	Biological Warfare, The Alien Life Cycle
The Alien Life Cycle	30,000	Standard	Concept	The Alien Genetic Structure, Multiworm, Multiworm Autopsy, Hyperworm, Hyperworm Autopsy, Chrysalis, Chrysalis Autopsy	Toxin Type B, The Real Alien Threat
The Real Alien Threat	35,000	Standard	Concept	The Alien Life Cycle, Multiworm Egg, Multiworm Egg Autopsy, Anthropod, Anthropod Autopsy, Brainsucker, Brainsucker Autopsy, Spitter, Spitter Autopsy, Popper, Popper Autopsy, Skeletoid, Skeletoid Autopsy, Micronoid, Micronoid Autopsy, Megaspawn, Megaspawn Autopsy, Psimorph, Psimorph Autopsy	Toxin Type C
Biological Warfare	26,000	Advanced	Agent Equipment	The Alien Genetic Structure	Toxin Type B
Toxin Type B	15,000	Advanced	Agent Equipment	The Alien Life Cycle; Biological Warfare	Toxin Type C
Toxin Type C	15,000	Advanced	Agent Equipment	The Real Alien Threat; Toxin Type B	Alien Gas
Alien Gas	28,000	Advanced	Agent Equipment	Queenspawn; Queenspawn Autopsy; Toxin Type C	None
Brainsucker Launcher	9,000	Standard	Agent Equipment	Recovered Equipment	None
Brainsucker Pod	6,000	Standard	Agent Equipment	Recovered Equipment	None
Entropy Launcher	9,000	Standard	Agent Equipment	Recovered Equipment	None
Entropy Pod	7,000	Standard	Agent Equipment	Recovered Equipment	None
Alien Building 1	30,000	Standard	Mission Type	The Alien Dimension	None
Alien Building 2	32,000	Standard	Mission Type	Completed Sleeping Chamber Mission	None
Alien Building 3	34,000	Standard	Mission Type	Completed Food Chamber Mission	None
Alien Building 4	36,000	Standard	Mission Type	Completed Alien Farm Mission	None
Alien Building 5	38,000	Standard	Mission Type	Completed Maintenance Factory Mission	None
Alien Building 6	40,000	Standard	Mission Type	Completed Incubator Chamber Mission	None
Alien Building 7	42,000	Standard	Mission Type	Completed Control Chamber Mission	None
Alien Building 8	44,000	Standard	Mission Type	Completed Spawning Chamber Mission	None
Alien Building 9	46,000	Standard	Mission Type	Completed Organic Factory Mission	None
Alien Building 10	48,000	Standard	Mission Type	Completed Megapod Chamber Mission	None
Bio-Transport Module	9,000	Standard	Vehicle Equipment	None	None
Advanced Biochemistry Lab	16,000	Standard	Base Facility	Any live Alien or any autopsy	None

Suggested Research Path

Biochemistry research is extremely important in the early part of the game. After your Bio-Transport Module is researched and manufactured, you should be bringing bunches of live aliens back from missions. (You are using lots of Stun Grenades, right?) Your immediate goal is Toxiguns and Toxin-B, which can kill most aliens in two or three shots, have a high rate of fire, and ignore shields. Your ultimate goal is Toxin-C.

Your research should ideally follow roughly this order:

• Multiworm (or Autopsy)
• Advanced Biochemistry Lab. Begin construction (ideally at your second base) as soon as research completes.
• Multiworm Autopsy (or Live)
• Hyperworm
• Hyperworm Autopsy
• Chrysalis
• Chrysalis Autopsy

By the time your Advanced Lab is complete, your biochemists should be finished with the above projects, unless they are horrible. After the above are complete, research the following in order:

• The Alien Genetic Structure
• Biological Warfare (Upon completion, begin building Toxiguns, but NOT Toxin A clips)
• The Alien Life Cycle
• Toxin B

From here, you ideally capture and research an example of every alien in the game alive and dead. They can be researched in any order, at which point you may research The Real Alien Threat, prerequisite to Toxin C - which makes Toxiguns the best general-purpose weapon in the game if you have the resources to keep up with producing the clips.

See Also

• Apocalypse
• Alien Life Forms
• Toxigun
• The Real Alien Threat