Challenge Solutions/Desert I and II

## 65 & 66: Desert & Desert II

### PotatoDoesCode's solution

   In Desert, the substrate is very dry and food is sparsely populated. Desert II is the same challenge but with a higher goal. Sounds difficult, right? It's not as difficult as you may think it is. Let's look at how we design the genome. First, set M1 to be a lipocyte at default split mass with maximum adhesin stiffness and set child 1 to M2 and child 2 to be M3. Next, set both children of M1 to be a lipocyte at minimum split mass and max adhesin stiffness. Only this time, set M3's split angle to 90 degrees. Now, set M2's children to be M4 and M5 as well as M3's to be M6 and M7. Set M4 to be a neurocyte set the oscillator preset settings to: 2 adhesin connections, channel 1 to 2, and period 1.75 h. Next, set M5's split angle to 90 degrees and make it a lipocyte with minimum split mass. Have it split into M9 and M9. Now, set M9 to be a myocyte that receives S1 and makes negative contractions as well as receiving S2 for positive lift. Then prevent M7 from splitting and keep it as a phagocyte while M6 should be a lipocyte again with minimum split mass and maximum adhesin stiffness. Have M6 split into M7 and M8 with the child 2 angle (M8 is child 2) at 270 degrees so it make another phagocyte and a new lipocyte facing forward with the same settings we repeated. Now have M8 split into M10 and M7. Make sure that child 1 is M10 and not M7! Make M10 a glueocyte with the same lipocyte settings (except for the adhesin.) Set its split angle to 30 degrees, split ratio to 90/10, and child 1 angle to 330 degrees. Have child 1 be M11 as a stereocyte. This is how it will survive better. Make sure M11 doesn't split first. Now, set M11 to sense food with a not-to-high output and have the output signal be S3 to prevent it interfering with the myocyte's contracting and lifting. Select M9 (the myocytes) and set the input to S3 with the A value to something a little higher than 1.00. Finally, have M4's (the neurocyte) child 1 be M1 with maybe child 1 angle being 90 degrees. For more efficiency, check the "Mirror" checkbox for child 2. Before you insert, make sure for M1 that both of its children don't keep adhesin. Now, insert M1 into the plate! If you put the temperature on Incubate, you should see your genome surviving! After a while, what should've happened that the plate as many cells in it and you completed the challenge!

### A\_Lol's solution

* Set M1 to be a Lipocyte. Make it split into M2 and M3, with maximum adhesin stiffness.
* Set M2 to be a Lipocyte. Make it split into M4 and M5, with maximum adhesin stiffness and minimum split mass.
* Set M3 to be a Lipocyte. Make it split into M6 and M7, with maximum adhesin stiffness and minimum split mass.
* Set M4 to be a Neurocyte. Set it to oscillate channel 1 to 2, for 2 adhesin connections, with a period of 1.00 h.
* Set M5 to be a Myocyte. Set its muscle contraction to S1, a × input + b, a = -4.00, b = -0.50. Set its muscle lift to S2, a × input + b, a = -8.00, b = 0.00. This way, the Myocyte would follow a pattern of lifting up, contracting, pushing down, and extending.
* Set M6 to be a Phagocyte.
* Set M7 to be a Stereocyte. Make it sense food with an output channel of S3 and an output of 5.00.
* Set M5's muscle bending to S3, a × input + b, a = -8.00, b = 0.00.
* Set M4 to split into M1 and M4 with maximum adhesin stiffness. Set child 1 angle to 90. Set child 2 to be mirrored.
* Set M1's split mass to 1.53 ng, and make both of its children not keep adhesin.
* Set M5, M6, and M7 to not split.

Now place M1 on the substrate. It will slowly reproduce to 600 cells.