A study using the thermal history and biosignatures of the upper few kilometers of some of the oldest rocks on Earth place constraints on the evolutionary history of microbes in […]
Microbiology & Virology
Posted inMicrobiology & Virology
Permafrost Thaw Could Release Unknown Bacteria And Viruses
When considering the implications of thawing permafrost, our initial worries are likely to turn to the major issue of methane being released into the atmosphere and exacerbating global warming or […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Njordarchaeota, A New Candidate For A Sister Group To Eukaryotes
The emergence of eukaryotic cells is considered as a critical biological evolutionary event on Earth. The origin of eukaryotes and eukaryosis are frontier issues in both life and Earth sciences. […]
Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Commercial & Private Sector, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Stations
Biomining Vanadium Aboard The International Space Station
For centuries, humans have mined materials to build the tools we use every day, from batteries and cell phones to airplanes and refrigerators. While the process of obtaining these important […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release
Hidden Bacterial Hairs Power Nature's 'Electric Grid'
A hair-like protein hidden inside bacteria serves as a sort of on-off switch for nature’s “electric grid,” a global web of bacteria-generated nanowires that permeates all oxygen-less soil and deep […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Bacterial Evolution In Ancient Sub-seafloor Sediments
Micro-organisms persisting deep below the seafloor for millions of years continue to evolve despite living at the energy limit to life.
Posted inMicrobiology & Virology
Microbial Tracking-3 Experiment Sample Collection On The ISS
Microbial Tracking-3 (MT-3) is a NASA Space Biology investigation cataloging and characterizing potential disease-causing microorganisms aboard the International Space Station (ISS). MT-3 sampling kits launched on SpX-22 were used to […]
Posted inMicrobiology & Virology
Selenium May Support Deep Microbial Life In Earth's Continental Crust
International drilling efforts over the last decades into the seafloor have provided increasing evidence for the existence of an extensive deep biosphere below the seafloor. There, circulating fluids in the […]
Posted inMicrobiology & Virology
Candida Albicans Cultures Grown On The ISS Are More Virulent In Space
The yeast C. albicans is a common opportunistic fungal pathogen responsible for a variety of superficial infections as well as systemic and more severe infections in humans. Space Biology scientist […]
Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Space Stations
Astronauts Demonstrate CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing In Space
Researchers have developed and successfully demonstrated a novel method for studying how cells repair damaged DNA in space. Sarah Stahl-Rommel of Genes in Space and colleagues present the new technique […]