In situ sampling missions to detect biosignatures on ocean worlds requires thorough sample preparation to manage the expected chemical complexity of such environments. Proposed instruments must be capable of automatic […]
The NASA Raman Spectroscopic Database (Ramdb) was developed to provide a publicly accessible, user-friendly database for spectra relevant to the planetary science community.
We analyzed twelve Apollo 17 samples through the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis (ANGSA) program to determine the abundances of a variety of compound classes, including amino acids, aldehydes, ketones, […]
Knowledge about the early forms of life in the universe that may have led to the development of life on Earth remains largely unknown. However, a group of scientists at […]
Early in the evolution of life a proto-metabolic network was encapsulated within a membrane compartment. The permeability characteristics of the membrane determined several key functions of this network by determining […]
Drying–wetting cycles play a crucial role in the investigation of the origin of life as processes that both concentrate and induce the supramolecular assembly and polymerization of biomolecular building blocks, […]
We identified protein domains that emerged early in the history of life. Protein domains whose ancestors date back to a single homolog in the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) remain […]
Amino acids are essential for the synthesis of protein. Amino acids contain both amine (R−NH2) and carboxylic acid (R−COOH) functional groups, which help to understand the possible formation mechanism of […]
Life is complicated. What is true for our everyday existence also holds for the many complex processes that take place inside cells. Proteins constantly have to be synthesized, cell walls […]
If there is life in the solar system beyond Earth, it might be found in the clouds of Venus. In contrast to the planet’s blisteringly inhospitable surface, Venus’ cloud layer, […]
