Commercial & Private Sector Archives

Evo composes realistic bacteriophage genomic sequences. (A) Key considerations highlight- ing the complexity of genome-scale design.

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report

Generative Design Of Novel Bacteriophages With Genome Language Models

by Keith CowingJanuary 12, 2026January 12, 2026

Editor’s note: As we expand outward from Earth to other worlds we are almost certainly going to encounter things we did not expect to find – things that are unlikely […]

Parque Nacional dos Lençois Maranhenses de nível Federal, localizado (a) em Primeira Cruz (MA), Barreirinhas (MA) Source Wikipedia

Analog Studies, Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Sample Return, Status Report

Halotolerant Bacteria From Mangrove And Restinga Ecosystems In Camocim, Brazil: Astrobiological Relevance And Biotechnological Potential

by Keith CowingJanuary 6, 2026January 6, 2026

Halotolerant bacteria possess significant scientific and biotechnological potential due to their ability to thrive in high-salinity environments and withstand other harsh conditions. Their adaptive mechanisms-such as the production of specialized […]

Searching for life on other worlds can provide benefits to our home world -- Grok via Astrobiology.com

Astrobiology (general), Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Commercial & Private Sector, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, NASA Astrobiology Program, Origin & Evolution of Life, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Science Fiction, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Searching For Extraterrestrial Life Advances Terrestrial Sustainability

by Keith CowingJanuary 5, 2026January 2, 2026

Astrobiology, while traditionally focused on understanding the origin of life on Earth and the potential for life elsewhere, offers powerful tools and insights for addressing urgent challenges on our planet.

Baker's yeast: The single-celled fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae, pictured, became the first eukaryotic organism to have its entire genome chemically synthesised and redesigned from scratch by the international Sc2.0 consortium. Credit ARC Centre of Excellence for Synthetic Biology

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Commercial & Private Sector, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release

How To Build A Genome – Troubleshooting Manual For Synthetic Life Published

by Keith CowingJanuary 5, 2026January 2, 2026

Leading synthetic biologists have shared hard-won lessons from their decade-long quest to build the world’s first synthetic eukaryotic genome in a Nature Biotechnology paper out today. Their insights could accelerate […]

Schematic representation of key functions required for a synthetic minimal cell membrane. Integral and peripheral membrane proteins require a functional membrane environment that supports their structural integrity and enzymatic activity. The membrane serves as a key anchoring platform for the import of essential metabolites and the export of cellular products—both critical for maintaining physicochemical homeostasis. Among the fundamental characteristics of life are growth and division, processes that are tightly linked to lipid biosynthesis and membrane expansion. These functions cannot be sustained without continuous energy generation and regeneration, which in autonomous systems is typically driven by membrane-associated ion or proton gradients. Created with Inkscape (version 1.2.1). -- FEBS Letters

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Commercial & Private Sector, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report

Exploring Lipid Diversity And Minimalism To Define Membrane Requirements For Synthetic Cells

by Keith CowingJanuary 3, 2026January 2, 2026

The creation of minimal synthetic cells that mimic the essential functions of biological cells is a long‐term goal in synthetic biology.

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim conducts research operations for the Noblis /Voyagerr DNA Decryption experiment iss073e0815503 (Sept. 26, 2025) larger image

Astronauts and Explorers, Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Commercial & Private Sector, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microgravity, Nanotechnology & SynBio, People Of Astrobiology, Space Life Science, Space Stations, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

Offworld Genomics Research: DNA Decryption Experiment On ISS

by Keith CowingDecember 15, 2025December 15, 2025

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Jonny Kim shows off research hardware from the Noblis / Voyager DNA Decryption experiment taking place inside the International Space Station’s Harmony module.

a cryoEM volume revealing a two-start (C2) helical filament with a pitch p and diameter of 94.6 Å and 260 Å, and a rise and twist of 3.18 Å and 12.1°, respectively; b local interaction network between neighboring cannula protofilaments in which subunits interlock through donor strand complementation along the axial (e.g., i → j → k) direction and partake in further intermolecular contacts mediated by calcium coordination along the axial and radial (e.g., j-1→j → j + 1) direction; c stick representation of three types of calcium pockets: (i) axial stacking of subunits via type I and II calcium binding centers, (ii) radial contacts are mediated via type III Ca2+ binding sites; d raw cryoEM image of a cannulae filaments loaded with a helically winding thinner filament (2 nm; cargo). White arrows denote winding cargo and dangling cargo associated with the cannulae filaments; e surface electrostatics showing a predominantly negatively charged surface and a positively charged lumen for the cannula model. The representative image in this figure (d) is derived from a total of 2365 cryo-EM movies from two technical replicates.-- Nature Communications

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Extreme Engineering – Unlocking Design Secrets of Deep-sea Microbes

by Keith CowingDecember 7, 2025

The microbe Pyrodictium abyssi is an archaeon — a member of what’s known as the third domain of life — and an extremophile. It lives in deep-sea thermal vents, at […]

The gloved hands of NASA astronaut inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox iss073e0759779 (Sept. 2, 2025) -- NASA -- larger image

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Commercial & Private Sector, Gravitational Biology, People Of Astrobiology, Space Life Science, Space Physiology & Medicine, Space Stations, Status Report

Offworld Biology: Stem Cell Research Inside The Microgravity Science Glovebox

by Keith CowingNovember 20, 2025November 19, 2025

A top-down view inside the Destiny laboratory module’s Microgravity Science Glovebox shows the gloved arms and hands of NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman.

Germicidal UV light is emitted by an optical fiber running through the center of an agar plate. Researchers are testing whether microgravity changes the ability of the light to prevent growth of microbial communities known as biofilms. Credit: Arizona State University Larger image

Commercial & Private Sector, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Gravitational Biology, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Stations

Germicidal Ultraviolet Light Biofilm Inhibition (GULBI) Experiment in Microgravity

by Keith CowingNovember 5, 2025November 5, 2025

The Germicidal Ultraviolet Light Biofilm Inhibition (GULBI) experiment was launched to the to the International Space Station National Laboratory on Northrop Grumman-23.

Adaptive mechanisms of halophilic microorganisms -- Current Microbiology via PubMed

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Commercial & Private Sector, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Sample Return, Status Report

Halophiles and Halotolerants: From Industry to Astrobiology

by Keith CowingOctober 4, 2025October 4, 2025

Halophilic and halotolerant microorganisms, as members of the extremophile group, hold significant potential for both industrial applications and astrobiological research.