![[Top] Spin density plot of H2S on a charged surface. The red lobe visualizes where the extra electron resides within the complex. In both (a) and (b), the extra electron is located in a pocket created by the coordination of nearby H-atoms from both the ASW surface and the H2S molecule. [BOTTOM] SO2 on a (a) neutral surface and on a (b) charged surface. Panel (a) shows both the S - - O interaction and the dH - - O interaction often found in these neutral ASW/SO2 complexes. The wireframe in panel (b) shows the spin density of the charged ASW/SO2 complex. The extra electron clearly resides in the LUMO of SO2 and interacts with the surface through multiple dH - - O interactions. -- [astro-ph.GA]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Effect-of-Ice.png?resize=1200%2C766&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.GA] We aim to derive statistically robust and physically interpretable BE distributions for atomic S and the sulfur-bearing molecules H2S, SO2, and OCS on neutral and negatively charged ASW, and […]
Biosignatures & Paleobiology
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine
Could Lake Joyce Have Acted As A Long-lived Proglacial Refugium In Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys?
[Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research] Lake Joyce of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), Antarctica, contains an endemic copepod population (Diacyclops joycei) that has not been identified from apparently suitable habitats […]
![Outline of construction of plasmids carrying LUCA and E. coli tRNA genes and codon test genes. A LUCA and E. coli tRNA genes. Pairs of tRNA genes from E. coli and LUCA with identical anticodon sequences were synthesized. Primers (Supplementary Table S2) were used to amplify the transcription templates for in vitro synthesis. B Codon test genes. The constructs were based on the pET23a vector. Test genes were inserted between the NdeI and BamHI sites, with the start codons included in the NdeI site. -- [Journal of Molecular Evolution]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Resurrecting-tRNAs.png?resize=1200%2C716&ssl=1)
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
Resurrecting tRNAs of the Last Universal Common Ancestor (Commonote) Toward Rebuilding the Ancient Translation System
[Journal of Molecular Evolution] Ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) was used to study the evolution of the translational system by inferring tRNA sequences of the Last Archaeal Common Ancestor (LACA), the […]
Posted inAstrogeology
Diverging Mineral Chemistry of Iron and Nickel Throughout Earth’s Changing Redox Conditions Reveals Foundation for Their Evolution as Protein Cofactors
[LIFE] Iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) were both foundational to early metabolism, yet their biological trajectories diverged as Earth’s surface redox state changed. Here, we integrate mineral chemistry network analysis, […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Sugar Erythrulose Discovered In Interstellar Space
[Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)] Sugars are key biomolecules in living organisms, as they form the backbone of DNA and RNA and play a fundamental role in metabolic processes. In […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Sample Return From Earth’s Deep Biosphere
[Northwestern University] By studying life deep inside a former gold mine, a Northwestern University-led team of scientists uncovered evidence that Earth’s hidden biosphere operates less like a random collection of […]
![Candidate component r55 with period of P0 = 18.87 s in 1050–1140 MHz (a) and r952 with period of P0 = 16.58 s 1300–1450 MHz (b) in our search. The layout of the two panels are the same as Figure 1. -- [astro-ph.IM]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Periodic-Radio.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inSETI & Technosignatures
Periodic Radio Technosignature Search Toward 3I/ATLAS With FAST
[astro-ph.IM] 3I/ATLAS, the third confirmed interstellar object discovered in the Solar System, provides a unique opportunity for targeted technosignature searches.
![A schematic showing the key abitoic (black dashed boxes) and biotic (white dashed box) processes occurring in the model (reproduced from Nicholson et al. 2022). -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/A-generalised-microbial.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
A Generalised Microbial Cell Model For Methane Biosignature Predictions
[astro-ph.EP] The majority of potentially habitable planets detected to date are likely quite different to Earth, for example, being larger in radius and mass, differing rotation rates and with host […]
Posted inSETI & Technosignatures
Decolonizing Technosignatures: Reimagining Technosignatures Through An Indigenist Lens
[astro-ph.IM] There exist numerous proposals for potential technosignatures that we can search for, but they all tend to be deviations from possible naturally occurring signals. That is, technosignatures tend to […]
![Potential environments for the origin of life and the corresponding roles of minerals. (a) In the deep-sea hydrothermal vent hypothesis, metal sulfides play a critical role in the formation of chemical precursors and building blocks. (b) In terrestrial hot spring, minerals may concentrate and stabilize molecular building blocks, catalyze polymerization under wet–dry cycling conditions, and provide protection against environmental stresses. (c) Extraterrestrial input of organic matter through meteorites, comets and IDPs. Minerals are the carrier and preserver of organic compounds and may possibly take part in the prebiotic synthesis of organic compounds in extraterrestrial environments. (Background images are modified based on AI-generated illustrations.) -- [Fundamental Research]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-role-of-minerals.png?resize=1200%2C717&ssl=1)
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
The Role Of Minerals In Prebiotic Evolution: Implications For Identifying Worlds With The Potential For Life’s Origin
[Fundamental Research] Understanding the origin of life requires explaining how abiotic molecules transitioned into the first living systems within plausible geological settings. Increasing evidence suggests minerals as active participants in […]