Previously proposed chronologies of amino acid incorporation into the genetic code rely on consensus rankings derived from prebiotic synthesis experiments, biosynthetic pathways, or genomic trends.
Origin & Evolution of Life
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Prebiotic Resource Constraints And The Origin Of Life: A Linear Logic Framework
The origin of life is a complex scientific problem demanding interdisciplinary approaches. We propose a Linear Logic (LL)-based computational framework to formally evaluate the feasibility of early biochemical pathways across […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Low-energy Glycine Formation And Spectral Masking In Star-forming Regions
The presence of amino acids in comets and meteorites has long suggested that prebiotic molecules may have formed in space and contributed to the origins of life on Earth.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Ancient Rocks Reveal Evidence Of The First Continents And Crust Recycling Processes On Earth
New research led by scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has uncovered chemical signatures in zircons, the planet’s oldest minerals, that are consistent with subduction and extensive continental crust during […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Molecular Clock Evidence For An Archean Diversification Of Heme-copper Oxygen Reductase Enzymes
Age estimates for the emergence of oxygenic photosynthesis derived from molecular clock analyses reach back to the Archean, substantially predating geochemical evidence of persistent, irreversible atmospheric oxygenation following the Great […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology, Status Report
Priority Effects Inhibit The Repeated Evolution Of Phototrophy
The emergence of phototrophy is one of the most significant innovations in the history of life, vastly increasing available metabolic energy. Phototrophy is, however, known to have arisen only twice.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Aurora Vent Field Is A Hotspot For Microbial Hydrogen Oxidation In The Arctic Ocean
Molecular hydrogen (H2) is a widespread, energetically efficient reductant supporting microbial metabolism across most known ecosystems. Although seafloor hydrothermal vents are major energy providers for H2-oxidizing microorganisms, the diversity of […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
Stringent Selection On Kinetics Of Condensation Reactions: Early Steps In Chemical Evolution
The emergence of chemical selectivity poses a central challenge in origins-of-life research. As demonstrated by analyses of asteroid and meteorite samples, abiotic chemistry is incredibly messy.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Distinguishing Life From Non-life Via Molecular Frontier Orbital Energy Gaps
Amino acids (AAs) are a key target in the search for life beyond Earth due to their extensive role in the machinery of all known life, persistence over geologic timescales, […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Emergence Of A Potentially Ancestral ATP-synthesizing Activity Under Prebiotic Amino Acid Constraints
The earliest enzymes are thought to have been composed of the limited amino acid repertoire available on prebiotic Earth. However, how such compositional simplicity shaped catalytic capability remains unclear.