Evolutionary biologists have long known that DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of all organisms, contains a record of ancestry. Indeed, […]
Origin & Evolution of Life
![[Left] Gene duplication results in paralog-specific divergence of ancient CNSs. [Right] CNSs identified within experimentally validated CREs. (A-F) -- Science](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/300-million-years.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology, Press Release, Space Agriculture
300 Million Years Of Hidden Genetic Instructions Shaping Plant Evolution Revealed
A deep genetic mystery has baffled plant scientists for decades. Although leaves, stems, and flowers develop in strikingly similar ways across many plant species, scientists have struggled to identify the […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Dale Andersen's Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Life Support Systems, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Antarctica’s Untersee – A Most Unusual Lake
Scientists estimate that Earth is home to more than 100 million lakes. Among the most unusual is Lake Untersee, one of Antarctica’s largest and deepest surface lakes, known for its […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Modularity, Ecology, And Theoretical Evolution Of The Ribozyme Body Plan
Ribozymes are relics of molecular life forms from the primitive earth that are embedded within modern genomes across all kingdoms of life. Despite significant knowledge from decades of bioinformatic and […]
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Simulating A Living Cell: First Simulation Of An Entire Cell Cycle
By simulating the life cycle of a minimal bacterial cell — from DNA replication to protein translation to metabolism and cell division — scientists have opened a new frontier of […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Editorial: Life Under Pressure: Microbial Adaptation And Survival In High Pressure Environments
A quantitative overview of Earth’s biomass has long been lacking, despite its importance for understanding the biosphere. The first global estimate—approximately 550 gigatons of carbon (Gt C)—reveals stark disparities across […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Global Abiotic Sulfur Cycling on Earth-like Terrestrial Planets
Sulfur is a redox active element that may have helped mediate an electron flow that kickstarted life and which presently is an essential element for all life on Earth. Despite […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Recent Microbial Evolutionary Insights From Metagenomics
Microorganisms have profoundly shaped Earth’s biological and geological history, from the origins of oxygenic photosynthesis to present-day global biogeochemical cycles.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Methanothermococcus jasoni sp. nov., A Novel Thermophilic Methanogen From Subseafloor Hydrothermal Vent Fluids Of Axial Seamount, Juan de Fuca Ridge
Low-temperature (34 °C) hydrothermal fluid was collected from Axial Seamount along the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the northeast Pacific Ocean.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Active Learning For Planet Habitability Classification Under Extreme Class Imbalance
The increasing size and heterogeneity of exoplanet catalogs have made systematic habitability assessment challenging, particularly given the extreme scarcity of potentially habitable planets and the evolving nature of their labels.