Strain Tree
Which strain mutates into which, with the catalyst and its chance.
Every strain except the grafted ones comes from the Mutator. Each row below is one mutation: put a colony of the parent strain in the Mutator with the catalyst. The catalyst is never used up. Packs can change these recipes; JEI's Bacteria Mutations category always shows the current ones, and its Strain Lineage category shows the fastest route to any strain from one you can graft. Look up the recipes for a strain's dish to see it.
How Long a Mutation Takes
On average, for a fresh colony on a 10 AP beam (12 seconds a try):
| Chance | Tries | Time | With a booster vial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75% | 1 or 2 | about 15 seconds | 1 try |
| 30% | 3 or 4 | about 40 seconds | 1 or 2 tries |
| 15% | about 7 | under 1.5 minutes | 2 or 3 tries |
| 9% | about 11 | about 2 minutes | about 4 tries |
| 5% | 20 | 4 minutes | about 7 tries |
| 3% | 33 | about 7 minutes | about 11 tries |
A 40 AP beam halves every time. An Electrolyte Algae Serum Vial in the booster slot triples the chance, stops failures shrinking the colony, and is used up only on a success.
Starting Strains
| Strain | Graft from | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Thermophiles | Netherrack | the Nether |
| Lithophiles |  Budding Prismarine |
Prismarine Reef, Bioluminescent Grove, Abyssal Trench, Warm Ocean, Deep Lukewarm Ocean |
| Halobacteria | Sand | any beach |
| Cyanobacteria | Stone, or a Glow Polyp in a Bioluminescent Grove | any ocean |
| Methanogens | Podzol | any forest |
Bacteria Grafting lists every graft, including the deep ocean strains that skip the first mutation.
Stone, Minerals and Metals
The most valuable branch. Graft Lithophiles from Budding Prismarine to skip its first step. Every step up to iron, redstone and lapis is 15%; gold, diamond and emerald stay at 5%.
| Strain | Makes | Parent | Catalyst | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lithophiles | Stone | Thermophiles | Stone | 15% |
| Calciophiles | Bone Meal | Lithophiles | Bone Meal | 15% |
| Silicophiles | Sand | Lithophiles | Sand | 15% |
| Carbophages | Coal | Lithophiles | Coal | 15% |
| Metallophiles | Copper Ingot | Carbophages | Copper Ingot | 15% |
| Ferrophiles | Iron Ingot | Metallophiles | Iron Ingot | 15% |
| Acidophiles | Redstone | Metallophiles | Redstone | 15% |
| Azuritophiles | Lapis Lazuli | Metallophiles | Lapis Lazuli | 15% |
| Sulfurophiles | Gunpowder | Acidophiles | Gunpowder | 15% |
| Aurrophiles | Gold Ingot | Ferrophiles | Gold Ingot | 5% |
| Adamantophiles | Diamond | Aurrophiles | Diamond | 5% |
| Smaragdophiles | Emerald | Adamantophiles | Emerald | 5% |
Sulfurophiles can also be grafted from a Vent Tubeworm in the Hydrothermal Vents.
Shortest routes from a grafted Lithophiles colony:
| Target | Route | Mutations |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | Lithophiles, Carbophages | 1 |
| Copper | then Metallophiles | 2 |
| Iron, Redstone or Lapis | then Ferrophiles, Acidophiles or Azuritophiles | 3 |
| Gold or Gunpowder | then Aurrophiles or Sulfurophiles | 4 |
| Diamond | then Adamantophiles | 5 |
| Emerald | then Smaragdophiles | 6 |
Starting from Thermophiles adds one more. You need one of each catalyst along the way, and since a catalyst is never used up, one iron ingot unlocks Ferrophiles for good.
Other Mods' Materials
Strains for other mods' metals and gems only exist when a mod in the pack adds that material. The catalyst is always the material's own ingot or gem, and the parent depends on how rare it is:
| Parent | Chance | Materials |
|---|---|---|
| Lithophiles | 30% | aluminum, bauxite, brass, bronze, graphite, lead, pig iron, steel, tin, zinc, apatite |
| Metallophiles | 30% | silver, nickel, antimony, bismuth, boron, constantan, electrum, invar, rose gold, stainless steel, amethyst bronze, and gems such as ruby, sapphire, peridot and topaz |
| Ferrophiles | 5% | osmium, uranium, cobalt, titanium, tungsten and most other mid-tier metals, certus and black quartz |
| Aurrophiles | 5% | platinum, iridium, palladium, enderium and other precious metals |
| Adamantophiles | 3% | netherite, allthemodium, vibranium, unobtainium and the other top-tier metals |
Production Rates has the full list with each one's Strain Yield.
Ocean Plants and Oil
| Strain | Makes | Parent | Catalyst | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halotrophs | Kelp | Halobacteria | Kelp | 75% |
| Algaeformers | Seagrass | Halobacteria | Seagrass | 75% |
| Lipophiles | Algal Lipid | Halotrophs | Kelp Slurry | 30% |
| Phototrophs | Sugar Cane | Halotrophs | Sugar Cane | 15% |
| Phototrophs | Sugar Cane | Cyanobacteria | Sugar Cane | 30% |
| Cryobionts | Ice | Algaeformers | Blue Ice | 15% |
Lipophiles make the lipids that become oil for the Combustion Dynamo, which makes it the first step toward power that pays for itself.
Crops
| Strain | Makes | Parent | Catalyst | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cactophyles | Cactus | Phototrophs | Cactus | 30% |
| Rhizobacteria | Wheat | Phototrophs | Wheat | 15% |
| Bamboophages | Bamboo | Rhizobacteria | Bamboo | 30% |
| Beta Phylobacteria | Beetroot | Rhizobacteria | Beetroot | 30% |
| Carotophyles | Carrot | Rhizobacteria | Carrot | 30% |
| Solanophiles | Potato | Rhizobacteria | Potato | 30% |
| Cucurbitophiles | Pumpkin | Rhizobacteria | Pumpkin | 30% |
| Melophages | Melon Slice | Cucurbitophiles | Melon Slice | 30% |
| Bryophytophiles | Moss Block | Rhizobacteria | Moss Block | 15% |
Wood, Fungi and Flesh
| Strain | Makes | Parent | Catalyst | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lignocytes | Oak Log | Methanogens | Oak Log | 15% |
| Betulophiles, Boreophiles, Acaciophyles, Junglophiles, Dark Lignocytes, Prunus Lignocytes, Rhizophora Lignocytes | Birch, Spruce, Acacia, Jungle, Dark Oak, Cherry and Mangrove Logs | Lignocytes | that log | 15% |
| Crimson Lignocytes, Warped Lignocytes | Crimson and Warped Stems | Lignocytes | that stem | 9% |
| Cocoaphiles | Cocoa Beans | Junglophiles | Cocoa Beans | 30% |
| Carnivorous Bacteria | Rotten Flesh | Methanogens | Rotten Flesh | 15% |
| Brown Mycotrophic Bacteria | Brown Mushroom | Methanogens | Brown Mushroom Block | 60% |
| Red Mycotrophic Bacteria | Red Mushroom | Methanogens | Red Mushroom Block | 60% |
| Crimson Microbes, Warped Microbes | Crimson and Warped Fungus | either Mycotrophic strain | that fungus | 9% |
Refining
Any strain that makes something can also mutate into itself. Use the storage block of the item it makes as the catalyst (an Iron Block for Ferrophiles, a Hay Bale for Rhizobacteria), or the item itself if it has no block. A refine has a 25% base chance, keeps the strain and the colony's size, and shifts its stats a little. It is how you breed a better colony of the strain you already have. See Mutator.