biochemistry Archives

Phosphite-dependent phosphorylation over Pd0 in the palaeoecological context of molecular, metabolic and bioenergetic evolution in serpentinizing hydrothermal vents: a chemically reactive site of concomitant organic synthesis and phosphorylation, immune over millennia to disruption by occasional thunderstorms, wind, drought, erosion, UV light, landslides, tsunamis or any combination of the above, and independent of the low solubility of phosphate. -- biorxiv.org

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Metal-catalyzed Phosphorylation By Phosphite At The Origin Of Bioenergetics

by Keith CowingJune 22, 2026June 21, 2026

How did phosphate become the universal energetic currency of life? Traditional approaches to phosphorylation in early evolution studies entail oven drying, non-aqueous solvents, dangerously reactive forms of phosphorus, or other […]

Schematic overview of possible paths of major endogenous carbon and nitrogen sources on an early Earth, starting from a CO2−, H2−, and N2−containing atmosphere. -- Astrobiology

Astrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Terrestrial Abiotic Synthesis of Simple Precursor Molecules Starting from Two Approaches: The Universality of Carbon Reduction

by Keith CowingJune 20, 2026June 20, 2026

To address the chemistry responsible for life’s emergence, we examine the simple chemicals accessible on early Earth and the processes that could have transformed them. We focus on carbon reduction […]

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Conferences and Meetings, Status Report, Video, Audio, Webcasts, Podcasts

2026 LIFE NASA RCN Seminar: Geochemistry Compels Biochemistry

by Keith CowingJune 17, 2026June 17, 2026

Time: June 18th, 8 AM PDT/11 AM EDT

tRNA evolved from RNA repeats and inverted repeats (stem–loop–stems) of known and conserved sequence. See the text for details. ACCA-Gly (line 6) was the primordial adapter molecule. Colors reflect internal homologies and are consistent throughout the figures. The tRNA precursor (line 11) was generated by the ligation of a 31 nt D loop minihelix (line 9, lacking 3′-ACCA) and two 31 nt anticodon (Ac) minihelices (line 10, lacking 3′-ACCA). Internally deleted bases are indicated in bold with strike-throughs. Bases in white bold are anticodon bases or sequence changes to support the tRNA fold. During pre-life, RNAs were formed with and without ligated 3′-ACCA. Underscored positions separate sequence elements and indicate how stem and loop sequences were selected. We posit that GCC may have been the primordial anticodon. GCC can utilize a GGC repeat (line 1) as a pre-mRNA. Secondary structures are indicated (parentheses stand for stems; * stands for loops). -- Genes

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

The Evolution Of The First Code

by Keith CowingJune 15, 2026

Background/Objectives: tRNAs, tRNAomes, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs), the first proteins, ribosomes and the genetic code coevolved. We utilize sequence data to reconstruct key steps in establishing the first code on Earth.

Schematic of the selection step in the doped in emulsio selection.

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

What Powered the Earth’s Earliest Life?

by Keith CowingJune 12, 2026June 12, 2026

Early biological systems likely relied on RNA molecules to copy themselves and drive simple chemical reactions.

Trillion Gene Atlas -- Basecamp Research

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Press Release, Sample Return, Space Life Science, Tricorders & Sensors

Planetary Genomics: Basecamp Research Launches The Trillion Gene Atlas

by Keith CowingJune 11, 2026June 11, 2026

Editor’s note: If we aspire to mount expeditions to new worlds and then embrace the task of characterizing and quantifying whatever life forms we find, the ability to map and […]

To test the method, the team analyzed more than 100 organic and inorganic samples, including material from three-billion-year-old Earth rocks, dinosaur eggshells and fossilized dinosaur feathers caught in amber, as well as samples collected in space from the Ryugu and Bennu asteroids. Asteroid Bennu. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Before The Aliens, The Amino Acids

by Keith CowingJune 11, 2026June 11, 2026

Before any wrinkled, wide-eyed creature from a distant civilization asks to be taken home, the first success in the search for life beyond Earth might be more prosaic. A clue […]

The contentious role of RNA in early evolution. The arrow represents the evolutionary trajectory from protobiology to the biological cell, with Protogenetics and the RNA-World as critical intermediary stages. The RNA-First paradigm implicitly assumes not only that RNA was fundamental to the emergence of genetic material but that the protobiological stage itself was already dominated by RNA chemistry, which this essay argues is incompatible with the combinatorial vastness of abiotic environments. -- Life

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

The RNA-First Fallacy: Conflating Evolutionary Ancestry with Prebiotic Primacy

by Keith CowingJune 11, 2026June 11, 2026

The RNA-World hypothesis remains the most widely accepted framework in origins-of-life research, anchored in compelling biochemical evidence for RNA’s deep evolutionary ancestry. However, this viewpoint routinely extends beyond that and […]

Cartoon highlighting the main molecular features of the IRAS4B1 outflow. The main emission morphology of our reference molecule, CH3OH, is outlined in grey, including the main outflow lobes (red and blue arrows) and additional arc-like features (black lines) of currently unknown origin. The peaks of the intensity ratios with respect to CH3OH are highlighted in teal and pink, depending on the species (see Fig. 2). A spectral line analysis was performed towards positions R1 and B1 and yielded rotational temperatures of Trot = 60-100 K (Sect. 3.3). The position of the protostar is indicated in yellow. -- Astronomy & Astrophysics

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

PRODIGE – Envelope To Disk With NOEMA VII. (Complex) Organic Molecules In The NGC1333 IRAS 4B1 Outflow: A New Laboratory For Shock Chemistry

by Keith CowingJune 9, 2026June 10, 2026

Context. Shock chemistry is an excellent tool for shedding light on the formation and destruction mechanisms of complex organic molecules (COMs). The L1157-mm outflow is the only low-mass protostellar outflow […]

Hierarchical clustering of the molecular cores based on the abundance ratios HN13C/HC3N, H13CO+/HC3N, and HC17O+/HC3N. Top panel: dendrogram obtained using Ward’s method. The vertical axis represents the Ward distance, which quantifies the chemical dissimilarity between cores. The horizontal dashed line indicates the adopted linkage-distance cut. The x-axis labels denote the core numbering. Bottom panels: mean abundance ratios of HN13

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Simple Cyanides and Formylium Ions Isotopologues in Early Star-forming Molecular Cores

by Keith CowingJune 8, 2026June 10, 2026

Understanding the chemistry related to the early stages of star formation is of great importance, as it is linked to the beginnings of the most complex chemistry in the interstellar […]