Recent high-resolution and sensitivity ALMA observations have unveiled the carbon isotope ratios (12C/13C) of Complex Organic Molecules (COMs) in a low-mass protostellar source.
biophysics
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
Chemists Find Clues To The Origins Of Buckyballs In Space
Far from Earth, in the vast expanses of space between stars, exists a treasure trove of carbon. There, in what scientists call the “interstellar medium,” you can find a wide […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
PAH Spectral Diversity in NGC 7027 and the Evolution of Aromatic Carriers
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) constitute a significant fraction of the Universe’s carbon budget, playing a key role in the cosmic carbon cycle and dominating the mid-infrared spectra of astrophysical environments […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
The Abiotic Background as a Central Component of a Sample Safety Assessment Protocol for Sample Return
Martian rock and regolith samples are being collected and cached by NASA’s Perseverance rover, with the goal of returning them to Earth as soon as the mid-2030s.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Status Report
Stable Isotope Abundance Patterns as Potential Biosignatures
The abundance and distribution of stable isotopes of an element in a substance can provide insights regarding the source, synthesis, and environmental history of that substance.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
A Hybrid Iron/Green-Rust-Urea Model for Prebiotic Chemistry: A Synthesis of Testable Pathways for Planetary Astrobiology
We propose a quantitative, testable framework for abiogenesis that links submarine alkaline vents, which supply H2, ΔpH, and Fe/Fe–S catalysis, to subaerial hot-spring fields that provide wet–dry concentration and UV-driven […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Interstellar, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
The Origin of Biomolecular Homochirality
The origin of homochirality in biomolecules is a central problem in the study of the origin of life and is fundamental to understanding the nature of life itself.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) In The High-redshift Universe: Prospect Of The PRIMA FIRESS Low-resolution Spectroscopy
The integrated luminosity from the features of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exceeds the luminosity from atomic and molecular emission lines in the star-forming regions in galaxies and is a […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Status Report
Exomorphic Catalysis: A Discipline Dedicated to Energetic Disequilibria and the Activation of Life-Potential in Non-Terrestrial Environments
The search for life beyond Earth has long been guided by two dominant paradigms: astrobiology, which seeks environments capable of supporting life as we know it, and planetary engineering, which […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Assessment Of Methods For Evaluating Structural Stability Of Cell Envelope Fragments In Hypersaline Brines As Biosignatures Of Ancient Microbial Life
The study of biomolecular stability of proteins and lipids in extreme saline environments is critical for understanding the preservation of potential microbial biosignatures of ancient life on Earth and other […]