Nanotechnology & SynBio Archives

Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. (Credit: CC photo via Wikimedia Commons) -- via CU Boulder

Astrobiology (general), Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, NASA Astrobiology Program, Origin & Evolution of Life, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Astrobiologists Search For Alien Life And Help Life On Earth In The Process

by Keith CowingFebruary 17, 2026February 17, 2026

On Earth, life thrives in some of the most seemingly inhospitable environments.

The Miller-Urey experiment that was used to demonstrate the synthesis of biologically relevant molecules in a hypothetical primitive reducing atmosphere. — UCSD

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Theoretical Perspective On Synthetic Life: Learning From The Origin Of Life

by Keith CowingFebruary 16, 2026February 16, 2026

Creating a man‐made life in the laboratory is one of life science’s most intriguing yet challenging problems.

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Commercial & Private Sector, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release, Sample Return

XTREMOLIFE: An EU Initiative to Unlock the Biotechnological Potential of Extremophiles

by Keith CowingFebruary 16, 2026February 16, 2026

SUMMARY: The EU-funded project XTREMOLIFE aims to accelerate the bioprospecting and biodiscovery of extremophile microorganisms from desert, polar, and volcanic environments, as well as the identification of their bioactive compounds, […]

Xiaoyue Ni watches a robotic fish with a reprogrammable tail swim in a fish tank. The proof-of-demonstration could lead to materials with reprogrammable material properties that could function inside of human bodies or electronics. -- Duke University

Exploration Gear & Tech, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

Programmable Lego-like Material Emulates Life’s Flexibility

by Keith CowingFebruary 11, 2026February 11, 2026

Mechanical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a proof-of-concept method for programming mechanical properties into solid Lego-like building blocks. By controlling the solidity of hundreds of individual cells in specific […]

Analyzing a precious bit of space dust no bigger than a teaspoon, the Penn State team used custom instruments capable of measuring isotopes, slight variations in the mass of atoms. Credit Jaydyn Isiminger / Penn State

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Sample Return

Amino Acids Discovered In Asteroid Bennu Formed In Space In The Early Solar System

by Keith CowingFebruary 10, 2026February 10, 2026

Amino acids, the building blocks necessary for life, were previously found in samples of 4.6-billion-year-old rocks from an asteroid called Bennu, delivered to Earth in 2023 by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission.

The experimental pipeline, from design to characterization, of peptides comprising the Xeno 1 and Xeno 2 amino acid alphabets. Design begins with a library of commercially available amino acids. The physicochemical properties (Van der Waals volume and hydrophobicity at pH 7) are then estimated for a xeno alphabet heuristic search. The potential energy surfaces for each amino acid which returns in the search is calculated and two xeno amino acid alphabets, Xeno 1 and Xeno 2, are selected based on post-search metrics (e.g. PCA and EMD). The similarity of these alphabets to the E10 is further assessed via calculation of HOMO-LUMO gaps and LogS: their ability to form secondary structures is measured in vitro with ECD, IR, and NMR spectroscopy for random combinatorial 25-mer libraries and for designed sequences. -- biorxiv.org

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release

Xeno Amino Acid Alphabets Form Peptides With Familiar Secondary Structure

by Keith CowingFebruary 10, 2026

The central dogma of molecular biology describes how genetic information stored in nucleic acids guides the formation of structured proteins from a single molecular alphabet of twenty amino acids (C20)1,2.

Anatomy of tardigrade visualized using holotomography. -- Tomography, via PubMed

Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

Tricorder Tech: A Non-Invasive, Label-Free Method for Examining Tardigrade Anatomy Using Holotomography

by Keith CowingFebruary 6, 2026February 6, 2026

Background/Objectives: Holotomography is an advanced imaging technique that enables high-resolution, three-dimensional visualization of microscopic specimens without the need for fixation or staining.

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Comets and Asteroids, Commercial & Private Sector, Meteorites & Asteroids, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Space Life Science, Space Stations, Status Report

Microbial Biomining From Asteroidal Material Onboard The International Space Station

by Keith CowingFebruary 3, 2026February 3, 2026

Expanding human space exploration necessitates technologies for sustainable local resource acquisition, to overcome unviable resupply missions. Asteroids, some of which rich in metals like platinum group elements, are promising targets.

Schematic of a zebrafish embryo at the late cleavage stage. The blastoderm is positioned at the AP atop the yolk cell at the vegetal pole (VP). The last row of blastoderm cells (cyan) constitutes the margin. -- Nature

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Gravitational Biology, Microgravity, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release

Geometry Shapes Life

by Keith CowingJanuary 25, 2026January 25, 2026

Cell–cell coupling repositions the mitotic wave origin to the margin and prevents desynchronization.

Schematic illustration of the synthetic quorum-sensing system. (a) PDDA– ATP coacervates encapsulate trypsinogen and BZAR. Upon external introduction of trypsin, an autocatalytic feedback loop activates local trypsinogen, leading to cleavage of the caged fluorogenic substrate BZAR and release of rhodamine 110. Trypsin diffuses between coacervates, enabling inter-compartment signalling. At low population density, signalling remains below threshold and produces minimal fluorescence. At high population density, autocatalytic feedback and inter-coacervate communication result in population-wide signal amplification. (b) Chemical reaction showing trypsin-mediated hydrolysis of the fluorogenic substrate BZAR to produce rhodamine 110, and the autocatalytic conversion of trypsinogen to trypsin. -- chemrxiv.org

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

A Gene-Free Minimal System for Synthetic Quorum Sensing in Protocell Communities

by Keith CowingJanuary 24, 2026

Synthetic communication networks are key to engineering life-like behaviors in artificial cells. Inspired by natural quorum sensing, we developed a coacervate-based system that exhibits quorum-sensing-like communication, driven by an autocatalytic […]