Three investigations funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and sponsored by the International Space Station (ISS International Space Station) National Laboratory are launching on SpaceX’s 32nd Commercial Resupply […]
Nanotechnology & SynBio
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release
New Giant Virus Jyvaskylavirus Isolated In Finland
For the first time in Finland, researchers at the Nanoscience Center in University of Jyväskylä, Finland, have isolated a giant virus, which was named Jyvaskylavirus. The discovery shows that giant […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Plant Biology, Status Report
Silicon Is The Next Frontier In Plant Synthetic Biology
Silicon has striking similarity with carbon and is found in plant cells. However, there is no specific role that has been assigned to silicon in the life cycle of plants.
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report
Amazing Structural Diversity Of Giant Virus-like Particles In Forest Soil
Large DNA viruses of the phylum Nucleocytoviricota infect diverse eukaryotic hosts from protists to humans, with profound consequences for aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. While nucleocytoviruses are known to be highly […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Life Support Systems, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Radiation, Space Life Science, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering
Engineering Microbial Symbiosis for Mars Habitability
The colonization of Mars presents extraordinary challenges, including radiation exposure, low atmospheric pressure, and toxic regolith.
Posted inStatus Report
Tricorder Tech: Single-Cell Proteomics Using Mass Spectrometry
Editor’s note: If we aspire to mount expeditions to new worlds and then embrace the task of characterizing and quantifying whatever life forms we find, the ability to map and […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Sample Return, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: Unlocking the Full Potential of Nanopore Sequencing: Tips, Tricks, and Advanced Data Analysis Techniques
Editor’s note: If we aspire to mount expeditions to new worlds and then embrace the task of characterizing and quantifying whatever life forms we find, the ability to map and […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
Microbes in Extreme Environments: Life at the Limits and Its Biotechnological Applications
Microorganisms are found in nearly every environment on Earth, including some of the most extreme habitats where life was once thought to be impossible. These “extremophiles” thrive in conditions of […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Commercial & Private Sector, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Life Support Systems, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs
DARPA: Building Space Elevators, Space Nets, and other Large Bio-Mechanical Space Structures
Given recent advances in metabolic engineering for rapid growth, extremophiles with novel properties, biological self-assembly properties of tunable materials, and emergent mechanical design principles of biological systems, DARPA is interested […]
Posted inCommercial & Private Sector, Microgravity, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Space Life Science, Space Stations, Status Report
Comparing Earth Life Growth – At Home – And Off World
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) grown attached as a mat in 2D on Earth as the current state-of-the-art (left) vs. iPSC experimentally grown as spheres in suspension in 3D bioreactors […]