The origin of eukaryotes remains enigmatic. Current data suggests that eukaryotes may have risen from an archaeal lineage known as “Asgard archaea”. Despite the eukaryote-like genomic features found in these […]
Origin & Evolution of Life
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Aquatic Microorganisms Offer Important Window On The History Of Life
The air, earth and water of our planet are pulsating with living things. Yet, a vast and diverse web of life exists, about which almost nothing is known. This is […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Lifelike Chemistry Created In Lab Search For Ways To Study Origin Of Life
University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have cultivated lifelike chemical reactions while pioneering a new strategy for studying the origin of life. The work is far from jumpstarting life in the lab. […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Dynamic Genome Evolution and Blueprint of Complex Virocell Metabolism in Globally-Distributed Giant Viruses
The discovery of giant viruses with large genomes has transformed our understanding of the limits of viral complexity in the biosphere, and subsequent research in model virus-host systems has advanced […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Cytoplasm Of Scrambled Frog Eggs Self-organizes Into Cell-like Structures
Can scrambled eggs unscramble themselves? Well, sort of. The cytoplasm of ruptured Xenopus frog eggs spontaneously reorganizes into cell-like compartments, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Deep Sea Vents Had Ideal Conditions For Origin Of Life
By creating protocells in hot, alkaline seawater, a UCL-led research team has added to evidence that the origin of life could have been in deep-sea hydrothermal vents rather than shallow […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Impact events, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Press Release
Did Comet Impacts Jump-start Life On Earth?
Comets screaming through the atmosphere of early Earth at tens of thousands of miles per hour likely contained measurable amounts of protein-forming amino acids. Upon impact, these amino acids self-assembled […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Molecule Identified That Could Have Helped Cells Thrive On Early Earth
To truly understand how the body works and improve human health, researchers need to tease apart the building blocks of our cells. But as scientists continue to make major breakthroughs […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Were Hot, Humid Summers The Key To Life's Origins?
Uncovering how the first biological molecules (like proteins and DNA) arose is a major goal for researchers attempting to solve the origin of life. Today, chemists at Saint Louis University, […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Mixing RNA and DNA To Study How Life Began
For decades, chemists have tested theories for how life began on Earth. One hypothesis has caught the scientific imagination for years: RNA World. This theory proposes that prebiotic molecules joined […]