How to Use the DNA Manipulator in Planet Crafter

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Planet Crafter isn’t a god game, but you’ll still need to embrace your inner deity. That’s because we’re creating life. Actually, we’re manipulating DNA using (you guessed it) the DNA Manipulator. The result? Beautiful, genetically modified trees. Making the world greener isn’t just for aesthetics in this terraforming sim. Trees are also essential for oxygen production, an essential step in creating a breathable world fit for habitation. Just ask Subnautica fans how things go when the O2 runs out. From the seed of an idea to actual seeds, here’s how to use the DNA Manipulator in Planet Crafter.

Building the DNA Manipulator

(Updated on April 11th, 2024 – updated images and streamlined crafting process)

A menu showing the ingredient slots you use for the DNA Manipulator in Planet Crafter

No matter how good a geneticist you are, your science dreams won’t get far in Planet Crafter if you don’t have a DNA Manipulator. First, you’ll need to unlock its blueprint and gather the ingredients to craft this device. In addition to the required components, you’ll also need -117.5 Energy/s to power it. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to craft the DNA Manipulator:

Ingredient	How to Obtain
Super Alloy x1	Combine Cobalt, Iron, Magnesium, Silicon, Titanium, and Aluminum in an Advanced Craft Station.
Bioplastic Nugget x1	Find Bioplastic Nuggets in crates or craft them in the Biolab using a Water Bottle, Silicon, and two Mushrooms.
Explosive Powder x1	Combine Iridium and two stacks of Sulfur in the Biolab.
Zeolite x1	Harvest this mineral after reaching Flora.
Osmium x1	Mine Osmium in caves or loot it from crates.

Using the DNA Manipulator in Planet Crafter

Once you’ve crafted a DNA Manipulator it serves as a workstation for creating tree seeds with enhanced Oxygen-production capabilities. At first, it can be hard to figure out how to use the DNA Manipulator in Planet Crafter because it has two interactable screens. The bottom screen reads “Open DNA Manipulator,” while the top reads “Show DNA Recipes.” Here’s what you need to do to use this device:

Interact with the top screen
Choose a DNA recipe you want to craft
Collect the ingredients you need
Interact with the bottom screen
Place the three ingredients inside (pictured above)
Press “Research”
Press “Start Sequencing”
Once the Sequencing gauge reaches 100%, remove the product

All Crafting Materials in Sons of the Forest (& How To Get Them)

Two of the three ingredients (Tree Bark and Mutagen) are the same for every recipe. It’s only the third ingredient (the seed) that changes. Different trees have different Oxygen multipliers, but feel free to start growing even if you don’t have the absolute best seeds. There’s plenty of time to get that Golden Seed and its 600% Oxygen multiplier later. When you finish creating your tree seed, place it in a Tree Spreader to start the growth process. Keep it up and you’ll have your very own Amazon in no time.

Planet Crafter is available on PC.