![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)
[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 […]
Biosignatures & Paleobiology
Posted inTitan
Dragonfly Titan Astrobiology Droid Clears Key Tests
The mission reached a major milestone on June 29, when the Dragonfly team at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, delivered the nearly 13-foot-long fuselage for […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports
Expedition Led By MBARI Researchers Reveals A Remarkable, And Rare, Form Of Deep-sea Hydrothermal Vents
[MBARI] An international team of researchers, led by MBARI Senior Scientist Aaron Micallef and Schmidt Ocean Institute, has discovered two remarkable fields of hydrothermal vents in the Doldrums Megatransform and […]
Posted inAstrogeology
SwRI Study Found Primordial Mini-moons May Explain Meteorite Composition
[SwRI] A new Southwest Research Institute-led study proposes a solution to a long-standing puzzle in planetary science — what caused the concentration, assembly and preservation of millimeter-sized, spherical mineral grains […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
The Galactic Centre G+0.633-0.0604 Molecular Cloud: A New Astrochemical Gold Mine. I. Gas Physical Properties
[astro-ph.GA] In the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), shocks play a key role in triggering star formation and driving chemical enrichment. The Sgr B2 complex is a prime template, hosting massive […]
Posted inExtinction events
Researchers Confirm The Cause Of Earth’s Biggest Mass Extinction
[Stanford University] A new Stanford-led study offers the clearest picture yet of how some ocean life survived our planet’s biggest mass extinction while most animals did not.
Posted inAstrogeology
Ancient Rocks Reveal How Water Shaped Earth 3.1 Billion Years Ago
[Adelaide University] Geologists studying some of the planet’s oldest volcanic rocks have uncovered new evidence that water was playing a major role in shaping Earth’s interior and driving volcanic activity […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Benzene Formation On Interstellar Dust Grain Analogues Via Single-Atom Fe Catalysis
[MRAS] Benzene has been detected across a range of astrophysical environments, though the primary mechanism underpinning its formation has not yet been constrained and the extreme conditions of the interstellar […]
![Geometry of the LTT 3780 planetary system at the time of our radio technosignature observations. The left panel shows the sky-plane (X–Y) view as seen from Earth, while the right panel shows the top-down (X–Z) view of the system. The orbits of planets b (blue) and c (green) are shown relative to the host star (yellow). Our observations from the ATA, mentioned in Table 1 on 5th November 2025, were timed to coincide with a planet–planet occultation (PPO), when planet b passes behind planet c along the line of sight, providing a unique configuration to search for radio technosignatures during mutual planetary alignment.-- [astro-ph.IM]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/A-Search-For.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inSETI & Technosignatures
A Search For Narrowband Technosignatures From LTT 3780 With The Allen Telescope Array And The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array
[astro-ph.IM] The LTT3780 system hosts two known exoplanets-LTT3780b, a rocky super-Earth, and LTT3780c, a temperate sub-Neptune-orbiting a nearby M dwarf on opposite sides of the radius valley. LTT3780c has been […]
Posted inTricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: Identifying Proteins, Molecule By Molecule
[Université de Genève] Proteins are responsible for most functions in the human body. However, their analysis, which is essential for understanding diseases, developing drugs, and discovering new biomarkers, remains highly […]