[Genetics] We produce a working hypothesis for the steps by which the canonical genetic code might have been constructed.
biochemistry
Posted inTitan
An Ion-Neutral Reaction to Form Cyanobenzene and Ethynylbenzene in Titan’s Atmosphere
[ACS Earth Space Chem] The ion-neutral reaction between cyanoacetylene (HC3N) and phenyl anion (C6H5 -) leads to the formation of cyanobenzene (C6H5CN) and the ethynyl anion (C2H-) via a submerged, […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Formamide Formation on Forsterite and Mg(OH)2.H2O
[astro-ph.GA] Context. Formamide formation in the Universe has been the subject of debate due to its importance as a precursor to amino acids and RNA. Current studies focus on the […]
Posted inComets and Asteroids
Cometary Impacts An Unlikely Pathway Towards The Origins Of Life On Earth
[astro-ph.EP] An early period of cometary bombardment has long been speculated to provide an important source of prebiotic feedstock molecules, required for the origins of life on Earth.
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
Can A Self-sustaining Chemical Network Emerge Due To Just A Few Catalysts?
[q-bio.MN] Understanding how self-sustaining chemical reaction networks can emerge from simple molecules is an important question in chemical approaches to the origin of life. Reflexively autocatalytic and food-generated (RAF) sets […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS) Study of Amino Acids in the Vacuum Stable Liquids EMI-BF4, EMI-Acetate, DEMA-OTf, DEMA-MsO, and Glycerol
[physics.app-ph] The detection of organics and potential biomolecules is an important goal of planetary science and astrobiology spacecraft missions, and many types of analytical chemistry for studying organics depend upon […]
Posted inTricorders & Sensors
All-Laser Suite Analytical Platform (Microsampling, Catapulting, Trapping, and LIBS) for the Characterization of Discrete Domains in Samples of Astrochemical Interest
[Analytical Chemistry via PubMed] The chemical characterization of scarce or heterogeneous solid samples remains a significant analytical challenge due to the high material quantities required by conventional techniques.
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics
A Mitochondrion-like Ribosome In An Insect Endosymbiont
[biorxiv.org] Understanding how the mitochondrion evolved from a bacterial endosymbiont to an organelle is obscured by time and a lack of comparative examples.
Posted inVenus
Communicating The Uncertainty Of Extraterrestrial Life: How The News Media Portrayed The Contested Phosphine Detection On Venus
[International Journal of Astrobiology]. The contested 2020 report of phosphine in Venus’s atmosphere triggered one of the most prominent recent debates in astrobiology, raising the possibility of extraterrestrial life while […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Windows of Nutrient Bioaccessibility: Phosphorus as a Key Constraint on the Chemical Potential for Life Beyond Earth
[Astrobiology (Journal) via PubMed] Phosphorus plays a central role in the chemistry of life as known on Earth, yet its availability depends on environmental conditions that vary widely among planets […]