The composition of the surface of the Galilean icy moons has been debated since the Galileo mission. Several chemistries have been proposed to explain the composition of the non-icy component […]
December 2021
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Automation Of Transiting Exoplanet Detection, Identification and Habitability Assessment Using Machine Learning Approaches
We are at a unique timeline in the history of human evolution where we may be able to discover earth-like planets around stars outside our solar system where conditions can […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Iron Was Integral To The Development Of Life On Earth And The Possibility Of Life On Other Planets
Iron is an essential nutrient that almost all life requires to grow and thrive. Iron’s importance goes all the way back to the formation of the planet Earth, where the […]
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Physiology & Medicine, Space Stations
Fundamental Biological Features of Spaceflight: Advancing the Field to Enable Deep-Space Exploration
Research on astronaut health and model organisms have revealed six features of spaceflight biology that guide our current understanding of fundamental molecular changes that occur during space travel. The features […]
Posted inPlant Biology
Kennedy Space Center Teams with USDA to Study Benefits of Fungus for Growing Space Crops
The research collaboration between the Kennedy Space Center Space Crop Production Team and the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) was featured in an article titled “Terrestrial Fungus May Be Key […]
Posted inCourses, Education and Outreach, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Press Release
GeneLab For High School Students (GL4HS) Program Is Expanding Into U.S. Schools
The GL4HS program is a 4-week intensive summer program hosted by NASA Ames Research Center and funded by NASA’s Space Biology program. 2021 was the 5th year of the popular […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE): III. Spectral resolution, wavelength range and sensitivity requirements based on atmospheric retrieval analyses of an exo-Earth
Temperate terrestrial exoplanets are likely common objects, but their discovery and characterization is very challenging. Concepts for optimized space missions to overcome these challenges are being studied. The LIFE initiative […]
Posted inPlant Biology
Terrestrial Fungus May Be Key To Farming In Space
Mold is something that most people try to avoid, but NASA may soon welcome a certain type of mold aboard its spacecraft. On long-distance space voyages of the future, astronauts […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Hydrothermal Vents That Favor Protein Synthesis
Scientists supported in part by the NASA Astrobiology Program have presented a new perspective on the biochemistry and ecology of hydrothermal vent ecosystems.
Posted inCourses, Education and Outreach, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microgravity, Press Release, Space Life Science
SLSTP Students Publish Paper Showing Bacteria Exposed to Space Show Lasting Genomic Changes
Samples of Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032, an endospore-forming bacterial strain, were externally mounted on ISS in the EXPOSE facility and with full UV exposure. While nearly all the bacterial spores were […]