Nanopore sequencing, as represented by Oxford Nanopore Technologies’ MinION, is a promising technology for in situ life detection and for microbial monitoring including in support of human space exploration, due […]
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Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Quantifying The Bioavailable Energy In An Ancient Hydrothermal Vent On Mars And A Modern Earth-based Analogue
Putative alkaline hydrothermal systems on Noachian Mars were potentially habitable environments for microorganisms. However, the types of reactions that could have fueled microbial life in such systems and the amount […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
The Evolution And Spread Of Sulfur-cycling Enzymes Reflect Volcanic Sulfur Sources And The Redox State Of The Early Earth
The biogeochemical sulfur cycle plays a central role in fueling microbial metabolisms, regulating the redox state of the Earth, and impacting climate through remineralization of organic carbon.
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: Solid-State Single-Molecule Sensing With The Electronic Life-detection Instrument For Enceladus/Europa (ELIE)
Growing evidence of the potential habitability of Ocean Worlds across our Solar System is motivating the advancement of technologies capable of detecting life as we know it – sharing a […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
Symmetry And Simplicity Spontaneously Emerge From The Algorithmic Nature Of Evolution
Engineers routinely design systems to be modular and symmetric in order to increase robustness to perturbations and to facilitate alterations at a later date. Biological structures also frequently exhibit modularity […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Space Stations
Genomic and Phenotypic Characterization of Burkholderia Isolates from the Potable Water System of the International Space Station
The opportunistic pathogens Burkholderia cepacia and Burkholderia contaminans, both genomovars of the Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC), are frequently cultured from the potable water system (PWS) of the International Space Station […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Press Release
A Model For The Emergence of RNA From A Prebiotically Plausible Mixture of Ribonucleotides, Arabinonucleotides and 2'-deoxynucleotides
The abiotic synthesis of ribonucleotides is thought to have been an essential step towards the emergence of the RNA world. However, it is likely that the prebiotic synthesis of ribonucleotides […]
Posted inDesert Worlds, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Cellular Life From The Three Domains And Viruses Are Transcriptionally Active In A Hypersaline Desert Community
Microbial communities play essential roles in the biosphere and understanding the mechanisms underlying their functional adaptations to environmental conditions is critical for predicting their behavior. This aspect of microbiome function […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Isolation Of An archaeon At The Prokaryote-Eukaryote Interface
The origin of eukaryotes remains enigmatic. Current data suggests that eukaryotes may have risen from an archaeal lineage known as “Asgard archaea”. Despite the eukaryote-like genomic features found in these […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Press Release
Reconstructed Ancient Nitrogenases Suggest Mo-specific Ancestry
The nitrogenase metalloenzyme family, essential for supplying fixed nitrogen to the biosphere, is one of life’s key biogeochemical innovations. The three isozymes of nitrogenase differ in their metal dependence, each […]