Basic Biology

Lore & Background

In the lore of Oxygen Not Included, the colony ship's crew and their artificial companions—duplicants—crash-landed in a cross-section of an unknown planet. The environment is hostile: toxic gases, extreme temperatures, and scarce breathable air make survival a daily negotiation. The ship's AI, the Ship Computer, retains fragments of the original mission's scientific database, and it is through this database that the research tree, including Basic Biology, becomes accessible.

Basic Biology represents the first systematic study of the planet's flora and of duplicant physiology. Before this research, duplicants can only consume pre-packaged rations and rely on crude oxygen generators. After it, they understand that plants photosynthesize, that waste can be broken down, and that a closed-loop biological system is not just possible but essential for long-term survival. The knowledge is less about discovery and more about re-remembering—pulling dormant biological protocols back into active use.

Fans often note that the Biology track in ONI's tech tree carries a quiet narrative weight: it is the difference between a colony that is merely surviving and one that is genuinely living. The shift from mechanical life support to organic, growing systems mirrors the game's broader theme of building a home in a foreign, indifferent world.

In Their Own Story

The research station hummed its low, amber glow. Mara, a duplicant with a smudge of soil on her forearm, set her scanner against the terminal and watched the progress bar crawl past ninety percent. Around her, the cross-section stretched in layers of compressed rock, frozen water, and pockets of toxic gas that painted the air a sickly yellow-green.

"Basic Biology complete," the Ship Computer announced in its flat, patient tone. "Hydroponic Farm blueprint available. Bio-Toilet blueprint available. Recommend immediate deployment."

Mara turned to her colleague, who was already hauling a crate of soil toward the wall. "So we're growing things," she said, more to herself than to him.

"We're growing things," he agreed, and for a moment the sterile click of the research station felt less like a machine and more like a seed splitting open.

Reader's Guide

Basic Biology is a Tier 1 (early) research node in the Biology category. It requires no prior research and is completed at a Research Station by one or more duplicants. Upon completion, it unlocks the following blueprints:

Hydroponic Farm (Agriculture / Life Support) A grow-rack that uses water and light to cultivate plants. Plants produce food and oxygen while consuming water and CO₂, forming the core of your colony's biological loop. Without this, duplicants rely solely on pre-packaged rations.

Bio-Toilet (Waste Management) A processing unit that converts duplicant waste into usable by-products. It closes the sanitation loop and prevents toxic waste buildup, which would otherwise poison nearby air and water.

Basic Biology also enables the foundational understanding that duplicants have biological needs—hunger, thirst, oxygen, and temperature comfort—that must be met continuously. While these needs exist from the start of the game, this research is the narrative and mechanical gateway to managing them through organic systems rather than purely mechanical ones.

Tip: Prioritize Basic Biology early. Pairing the Hydroponic Farm with a light source and a water supply gives you a renewable food and O₂ source, dramatically reducing your dependence on finite rations and oxygen generators in the first few days of a colony.

Did You Know?

• The Biology research track in ONI is one of several parallel categories (alongside Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, and Electronics), and Basic Biology is the entry point that makes the entire plant-and-waste ecosystem a
• In the game's lore, duplicants are artificial lifeforms created for the colony ship's mission, making the study of 'basic biology' a kind of reverse-engineering of their own existence.
• The Hydroponic Farm unlocked through this research line is one of the few machines that actively produces oxygen as a by-product, making it a critical early-game O₂ source alongside oxygen generators.
• ONI's research system is designed so that completing Basic Biology early shifts the colony's strategy from 'survive the first week' to 'build a self-sustaining ecosystem,' a turning point many players describe as the mom