Subsurface microbiology is at a crossroads, evolving from asking ‘who’s home’ to seeking clarity on microbes’ functionality and the key processes that constrain subsurface life.
Protocells capable of nonenzymatic metabolism and environmental adaptation are essential models for understanding the emergence of cellular life.
The creation of minimal synthetic cells that mimic the essential functions of biological cells is a long‐term goal in synthetic biology.
Lunar and Martian lava tubes will offer stable temperatures and radiation protection, making them potential habitats for extraterrestrial life. The Martian atmosphere, containing gases like H2, CO, and CH4, could […]
We explore ion escape from, and solar ion deposition to, an unmagnetized Earth-like planet. We use RHybrid, an ion-kinetic electron-fluid code to simulate the global plasma interaction of unmagnetized Earth […]
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California has inaugurated its Rover Operations Center (ROC), a center of excellence for current and future surface missions to the Moon and Mars. During […]
NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman inspects sample cassettes for installation into the Advanced Space Experiment Processor-4 (ADSEP-4) at the maintenance work area inside the International Space […]
Life demonstrates remarkable homochirality of its major building blocks: nucleic acids, amino acids, sugars, and phospholipids. We propose a mechanism that places the root of life homochirality in the formation […]
The Perseverance rover has collected rock samples from the floor of Jezero crater, Mars, set to be returned to Earth through the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. These surface rocks […]
Lava tubes, or subsurface conduits formed by volcanic activity, have emerged as critical geological features for understanding planetary evolution and for supporting future human space exploration.
