16s rRNA
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report

Deep Terrestrial Indigenous Microbial Community Dominated By Candidatus Frackibacter

by Keith Cowing

Characterizing deep subsurface microbial communities informs our understanding of Earth’s biogeochemistry as well as the search for life beyond the Earth.

Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report

An Astrobiology Spinoff? Microbe Recovered From Mars 2020 Cleanroom May Have Commercial Applications

by Keith Cowing

During microbial surveillance of the Mars 2020 spacecraft assembly facility, two novel bacterial strains, potentially capable of producing lasso peptides, were identified.

Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Sample Return, Status Report

Comparing Microbial Populations From Diverse Hydrothermal Features In Yellowstone National Park

by Keith Cowing

Geothermal features, such as hot springs and mud volcanoes, host diverse microbial life, including many extremophile organisms. The physicochemical parameters of the geothermal feature, such as temperature, pH, and heavy […]

Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

CABO-16S: A Combined Archaea, Bacteria, Organelle 16S Database for Amplicon Analysis of Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes in Environmental Samples

by Keith Cowing

Identification of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms in environmental samples is currently challenged by either the burden of additional sequencing required to obtain both 16S and 18S rRNA sequences or […]

Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

Geographic and Ecological Diversity of Green Sulfur Bacteria in Hot Spring Mat Communities

by Keith Cowing

Three strains of thermophilic green sulfur bacteria (GSB) are known; all are from microbial mats in hot springs in Rotorua, New Zealand (NZ) and belong to the species Chlorobaculum tepidum.

Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

Microbial Composition Of Saharan Dust Plumes Deposited As Red Rain In Granada, Southern Spain

by Keith Cowing

During dust storms, also biological material is transported from arid areas such as the Sahara Desert. In the present work, rain samples containing significant amounts of mineral dust have been […]

Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Status Report

Active Microbiota Persist in Dry Permafrost and Active Layer from Elephant Head, AntarcticaI

by Keith Cowing

Dry permafrost is a challenging environment for microbial life due to cold, dry, and often oligotrophic conditions. In 2016, Elephant Head, Antarctica, was confirmed as the second site on Earth […]

Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Status Report

First Insights Into The Bacterial Diversity of Mount Etna Volcanic Caves

by Keith Cowing

While microbial communities in limestone caves across the world are relatively understood, knowledge of the microbial composition in lava tubes is lagging behind. These caves are found in volcanic regions […]

Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release

Protein Fragments ID Two New Extremophile Microbes — And May Help Find Alien Life

by Keith Cowing

Perfectly adapted microorganisms live in extreme environments from deep-sea trenches to mountaintops. Learning more about how these extremophiles survive in hostile conditions could inform scientists about life on Earth and […]

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