Basic Commodities - Tier 1

The term “bacteria” covers a wide, diverse family of unicellular microorganisms, from those found in almost every climate in New Eden to those that thrive in the bodies of other living beings. Though some bacteria are known to convey diseases, others are more helpful than harmful to humans.

The most widely used, renewable solid fuel in the cluster, biofuel production is present in some fashion on almost every inhabited world. A steady fuel source can be maintained in a planetary economy by converting living material directly into energy instead of relying on fossil fuels.

A catch-all term for composite material obtained from living things, biomass has several unique properties that make it ideal for various industrial, commercial, and personal uses. Its most important attribute is that it retains many of its nutrients even after being harvested, transported, and processed.

A chiral structure is a crystal that is unsymmetrical, which makes it volatile in some situations but ideal for conductivity, especially in micro-circuitry. Using semi-rare chiral structures in electronics has allowed for an unprecedented advancement in the field of miniaturization.

This conductive liquid is able to carry an electrical current due to its unique ionic properties, making it ideal for use as a reactive coolant, a high-energy fuel, or a transference medium for power plants.

The main difference between fibers used in industry and those created for civilian use is the trade-off of comfort for tensile strength and durability. This allows industrial fibers to be used in more severe environments, from electronic component shielding on hostile worlds to solar sails in the frigid void of space.

Converting various matter from its basic state to an oxidized form requires an oxidizing compound, the most effective of which is a powerful agent made from pressurized reactive gas. Special containers are required to keep the compound from causing significant damage to common metals and organic life.

Oxygen is a commodity in constant demand. While most stations have their own supply units, smaller depots and space crafts rely on imports.

In the early days of humanity's return to space flight, scientists Planto and Ginch co-discovered a self-sustaining natural structure made entirely from plasma suspended in a planetary magnetic field. Since then, the term has been applied to any such construct, whether occurring under normal conditions or produced artificially using electrical currents.

A cousin of noble metals, precious metals are named as such because of how infrequently they appear on terrestrial worlds where they were first encountered.

One of the most basic components of biological life, proteins form the core DNA structure and are involved in almost every process that sustains a living being. Harvested at the microscopic level, proteins can be put to use in everything from medical genetics to nanite technology.

Very dense metals are often called reactive metals, as their ability to conduct electrical currents and absorb heat is unparalleled. Rarely found in a natural solid state, they are instead usually assembled on an atomic level from particulate matter found in other forms.

As one of the most common elements in the universe, it's no surprise that silicon has found its way into almost every aspect of manufacturing, resulting in a steady price and perpetual mining operations on most solid planets.

Derived from heavy metals, toxic metals are those that have no biological function and are in fact poisonous to most living creatures.

Water is one of the basic conditional elements of human survival. Most worlds have this compound in relative short supply and hence must rely on starship freight.