[NASA] Pandora, NASA’s newest exoplanet mission and the first satellite to launch through the agency’s Astrophysics Pioneers program, is now making unique observations of worlds beyond our solar system and […]
Biosignatures & Paleobiology
![Global maps of predicted pigment concentrations (left column) and pigment-to-chlorophyll-a ratios (right column) for May 2010 generated using the Random Forest model. Panels (a–f) show fucoxanthin, peridinin and zeaxanthin.-- [q-bio.OT]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/beyond.png?resize=1200%2C717&ssl=1)
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
Beyond Chlorophyll: Machine Learning Estimates Of Diagnostic Phytoplankton Pigments From Multispectral Ocean Colour Data
[q-bio.OT] Phytoplankton play a central role in marine ecosystems and the global carbon cycle, with different groups contributing differently to ocean biogeochemical processes.
![LOCO-CV predicted vs DFT binding energies for 13 adsorbate species on ASW12 clusters. Each point represents a single adsorbate–surface configuration, coloured by species identity; asterisks denote radical species. Pooled metrics across all leave-one-cluster-out folds: R2 = 0.896, RMSE = 574 K, MAE = 378 K. -- [astro-ph.GA]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AstroBind.png?resize=1200%2C715&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
AstroBind: Machine Learning Prediction Of Binding Energy Distributions On Interstellar Water Ice From Geometric Surface Descriptors
[astro-ph.GA] Binding energies on amorphous solid water regulate molecular desorption in molecular clouds and protoplanetary disks, but computing them from first principles across the heterogeneous binding sites of disordered ice […]
![The origin of life is the first, arguably, the most important and also the most enigmatic major transition in evolution (MTE). [q-bio.PE]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/The-first.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
The First Major Transition: Origin Of Life From A Multilevel Selection Perspective
[q-bio.PE] As all MTE, the transition at the origin of life can be constructively addressed only within the conceptual framework of multilevel selection. The two levels of selection relevant for […]
![Earth biosignatures through time and their reflected light spectra. The left subplot shows estimates of Earth’s bulk atmospheric composition through time (advancing from top to bottom), and the figures on the right show the corresponding reflected light spectra considered in this study. Key absorption features for biosignature gases (O3, O2, CH4) and suggested long- and short-wavelength cutoffs are highlighted (as discussed further in Sections 3 and 4). Adapted from National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2021) and LUVOIR and HabEx Final Reports (LUVOIR Team, 2019; Gaudi et al., 2020). -- [Astrobiology (Journal)]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Wavelength.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
Wavelength Requirements for Life Detection via Reflected Light Spectroscopy of Rocky Exoplanets
[Astrobiology (Journal)] Searching for signs of life is a primary goal of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). However, merely detecting oxygen, methane, or other widely discussed biosignatures is insufficient evidence […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Transit Searches for Habitable-Zone Exoplanets with Artificial Intelligence
[astro-ph.EP]. Searching for Earth-sized planets in stellar habitable zones ultimately means finding a small number of very shallow, widely separated transits in noisy light curves.
Posted inTricorders & Sensors
New UC Riverside Lab Focuses on Cutting Edge Astrobiology Tools
[UC Riverside] The Planetary Geochemistry and Astrobiology Laboratory is led by Assistant Professor Fabian Klenner, a new faculty member in UCR’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. His research focuses […]
Posted inWater/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
MBARI Ocean World Expedition: Movement In The Deep
Editor’s note: When we start to mount Astrobiology missions to explore ocean worlds we’ll need ways for our robotic submersibles to observe and interact with whatever life forms they may […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
Orbital Biosignature Assays: FLEX Photosynthesis Satellite Fueled
[ESA] Europe’s newest eye on the health of Earth’s vegetation has taken another crucial step towards orbit – the European Space Agency’s FLEX satellite has been fueled at Europe’s Spaceport […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
The Effects of M Star Age Dependent Ultraviolet Emission on Detecting and Interpreting Exoplanet Biosignatures
[astro-ph.EP] Given their abundance and observational advantages, M stars will arguably be the best candidates for characterizing and searching for biosignatures on terrestrial exoplanets in the near future.