P. Potens and Potentia

Penicillium potens is a species of fungus hypothesized to be in the Penicillium genus, however no strong evidence exists for the hypothesis aside from it's shape. The fungus was first found growing around the geothermal vent in Gyllis after it was repopulated, however it has been adapted to grow in a variety of spaces. P. potens fungal growths are easily confused for flowers due to the appearance of their conidia. They sport stems of 2 cm diameter on average with long thin tails covered in balls of blue spores that are carried off by winds or ocean currents.
P. potens is known to produce a substance very similar to penicillin dubbed potentia. Like penicillin, potentia is an antibacterial that is considered to be significantly stronger than penicillin. In addition to the usual cases for penicillin—treating sepsis, meningitis, diphtheria, botulism, gangrene, etc.—potentia has been found to be useful against bacteria that have developed a resistance to penicillin. Furthermore, bacterial infections that are unique to the dome have been shown to be vulnerable to potentia but not penicillin.
P. potens and the byproduct potentia are actively being investigated by the mad science committee to develop a more efficient way to produce the antibacterial. However, most investigations into genetically engineering bacteria have been fruitless endeavors. It has grown more difficult to experiment on the fungus in isolation due to the surrounding domes taking great interest in the fungus once word of it got out of Gyllis. One half of their experimental samples are required to be distributed to Octus so their scientists can experiment on the fungus as well.