In a study published in PLOS ONE, researchers led by Deborah Kimbrell, Ph.D., at UC Davis and their collaborators, studied how microorganisms may alter fruit flies’ immunity in space and […]
Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics
A Synthetic Organism That Transmits Novel DNA Bases
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have engineered a bacterium whose genetic material includes an added pair of DNA “letters,” or bases, not found in nature. The cells of this […]
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Viruses Hijack Deep-sea Bacteria At Hydrothermal Vents
More than a mile beneath the ocean’s surface, as dark clouds of mineral-rich water billow from seafloor hot springs called hydrothermal vents, unseen armies of viruses and bacteria wage war.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Reconstructed Ancient Ocean Reveals Secrets About the Origin of Life
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have published details about how the first organisms on Earth could have become metabolically active. The results, which are reported in the journal Molecular […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Plant Biology
Bringing Extinct Plants to Life
Jeff Benca is an admitted ueber-geek when it comes to prehistoric plants, so it was no surprise that, when he submitted a paper describing a new species of long-extinct lycopod […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics
Bacteria Get New Badge as Planet's Detoxifier
A study published this week in PLOS ONE authored by Dr. Henry Sun and his postdoctoral student Dr. Gaosen Zhang of Nevada based research institute DRI provides new evidence that […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Impact events, Origin & Evolution of Life
Producing Prebiotic Chemistry by Impacting Ice
Astrobiologists have provided new information about how comets and asteroids could have delivered prebiotic chemical compounds to the early Earth. The team studied how shock pressures can lead to the […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life
Geometry Shapes Evolution of Early Multicellularity
Organisms have increased in complexity through a series of major evolutionary transitions, in which formerly autonomous entities become parts of a novel higher-level entity. One intriguing feature of the higher-level […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Radiation
How Do Tardigrades Survive Environmental Extremes?
If you have been watching the new series “Cosmos” recently then you have see Tardigrades or “water bears” featured. These creatures are remarkably resistant to a wide range of conditions […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Plant Biology
Ancient Cellular Fossils: Indications Of What May Wait on Mars?
When we send probes to other worlds (such as Mars) to look for evidence of past life, we are sending them to look for fossils. Often times a fossil preserves […]