Baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is an indispensable ingredient in making bread, beer, and biotechnology products. But this humble organism also holds clues to something more cosmic – how life could […]
Biomarkers
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
The Complex Molecules Detector (CMOLD)
Organic chemistry is ubiquitous in the Solar System, and both Mars and a number of icy satellites of the outer Solar System show substantial promise for having hosted or hosting […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mercury, Microgravity, Status Report
Connecting Molecular Biomarkers, Mineralogical Composition, And Microbial Diversity From Mars Analog Lava Tubes
Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain) is one of the best terrestrial analogs to Martian volcanology. Particularly, Lanzarote lava tubes may offer access to recognizably preserved chemical and morphological biosignatures valuable for […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Exploration Gear & Tech, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: A Rapid And Inexpensive Paper-based Test For Multiplexed Sensing Of Biomarkers
What do mobile phones, neural networks and paper have in common? A rapid and inexpensive paper-based test for multiplexed sensing of biomarkers.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Correlations Between Life-Detection Techniques and Implications for Sampling Site Selection in Planetary Analog Missions
We conducted an analog sampling expedition under simulated mission constraints to areas dominated by basaltic tephra of the Eldfell and Fimmvörðuháls lava fields (Iceland).
Posted inAnalog Studies, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Tricorders & Sensors
Life Detection and Microbial Biomarker Profiling with Signs of Life Detector-Life Detector Chip During a Mars Drilling Simulation Campaign in the Hyperarid Core of the Atacama Desert
The low organic matter content in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert, together with abrupt temperature shifts and high ultraviolet radiation at its surface, makes this region one of […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Career Opportunities, Courses, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Scientists Secure NASA Grant to Explore Astrobiology Through Student Training and Mentorship
Dr. Chhandak Basu, a faculty member in the Department of Biology at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), and Dr. Scott Perl, a Research Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: Investigating Microbial Communities and Their Biomarkers in Mars-Analog Lava Tubes at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (CotM) is a strong terrestrial analog for lava tube formations on Mars.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology
Detecting Biomarkers on Faraway Planets
On Earth, life leaves telltale signals in the atmosphere. Photosynthesis is ultimately responsible for the high oxygen levels and the thick ozone layer. Microbes emit methane and nitrous oxide into […]