| Bioglass Furnace | |
|---|---|
 Building in Beyond Earth | |
| Cost | 470 
|
| Maintenance | 1  Energy
|
| Requires | 8  Supremacy2  FiraxiteBioengineering |
| Specialist slots | None |
| Effect | +2 Production +15% Production |
| Notes | None |
History[]
Bioglass – or bioactive glass – is composed of silica, sodium, calcium and phosphorous in various proportions; the high ratio of calcium to phosphorous promotes formation of apatite crystals, with the silica ions serving as the crystallization nuclei. Depending on the proportions, some bioglasses bond with soft tissue and bone, others only to bone, and still others temporarily bond with non-fibrous tissues. Their biocompatibility with animal tissue and bone makes bioglasses ideal for orthopaedic implants and as bone engineering scaffolds. Initially, these were used by colonial surgeons for remineralization and repair of bone damaged by injury or illness. But as some colonists sought to remake their bodies, research in bioglass technology led inevitably towards augmentation in the form of prostheses that could bond to bone or replace it entirely. For example, Bioglass 45S5, in limited use on Old Earth, was adapted for the replacement of ossicles in the middle ear (leading to heightened hearing) and to modify and strengthen teeth (allowing, among other intents, the lengthening of the canines). New bioglass formulae using firaxite allow for such “improvements” as extremely dense bone formation (stronger than normal bone and able to support far heavier weight), armored skulls and ribcages, the bonding of metal parts to bones and skeletal striated muscles, and other structural steps in creating cyborgs. Bioglass furnaces not only serve as specialized production centers, but now as laboratories for further research.