In chambers that mimic Mars’ conditions, University of Michigan researchers have shown how small amounts of liquid water could form on the planet despite its below-freezing temperatures.
Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry
Census of Complex Organic Molecules in Solar Type Protostar IRAS16293-2422
Complex Organic Molecules (COMs) are considered crucial molecules, since they are connected with organic chemistry, at the basis of the terrestrial life. More pragmatically, they are molecules in principle difficult […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Origin & Evolution of Life
Stanley Miller's Forgotten Experiments, Analyzed
Stanley Miller, the chemist whose landmark experiment published in 1953 showed how some of the molecules of life could have formed on a young Earth, left behind boxes of experimental […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics
Quantum Biology: Algae Evolved to Switch Quantum Coherence On and Off
A UNSW Australia-led team of researchers has discovered how algae that survive in very low levels of light are able to switch on and off a weird quantum phenomenon that […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Microbiology & Virology
Blood Falls Becomes First Subglacial Antarctic Specially Protected Area to Protect Scientific Values
Blood Falls, one of the more bizarre features found anywhere in Antarctica, has fascinated scientists since it was first discovered a century ago by Griffith Taylor, the senior geologist on […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Interstellar, Press Release
Key to Cosmic Carbon's Molecular Evolution
Scientists at NASA’s Ames Research Center now have the capability to systematically investigate the molecular evolution of cosmic carbon. For the first time, these scientists are able to automatically interpret […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
An Oxygen-poor ‘Boring’ Ocean Challenged Evolution of Early Life
A research team led by biogeochemists at the University of California, Riverside has filled in a billion-year gap in our understanding of conditions in the early ocean during a critical […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Research Shows Existence of Reduced Carbon on Mars
NASA-funded research on Mars meteorites that landed on Earth shows strong evidence that very large molecules containing carbon, which is a key ingredient for the building blocks of life, can […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Press Release
Scripps Research Team Proves Plausibility of New Primordial Pathway to Life’s Chemical Building Blocks
For decades, chemists considered a chemical pathway known as the formose reaction the only route for producing sugars essential for life to begin, but more recent research has called into […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: NASA Scientist Unveils New Chemical Detection Technology
NASA scientists are creating technology that can detect hazardous chemical compounds in the air with a smart phone.