Microbial contamination in spacecraft poses a threat to crew health and operational integrity. Currently, microbial reduction aboard the International Space Station (ISS) relies on rigorous cleaning, which is time-consuming for […]
biorxiv.org
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Emergence Of Diverse Ligase Reactivities From A Single RNA Evolution Experiment
RNA-catalyzed assembly of RNA strands was one of the most essential enzymatic functions in a primordial RNA-based biology.
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report
Regolith as a Refuge: Differential Survival of Bacteriophage Qβ in Mars-Analog Environments
Viruses are among the simplest biological entities capable of replication. Their robustness and adaptability make them relevant not only to terrestrial ecosystems but also to astrobiological exploration.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report
Evolutionary Stasis And Homogeneous Selection Structure Microbial Communities In The Deep Subseafloor Sedimentary Biosphere
The subseafloor biosphere, one of the Earth’s largest and most stable microbial habitats, mainly consists of energy-limited sediments where microbial life persists over geological timescales.
Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report
Generative Design Of Novel Bacteriophages With Genome Language Models
Editor’s note: As we expand outward from Earth to other worlds we are almost certainly going to encounter things we did not expect to find – things that are unlikely […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report
Ancient Metagenomics Reveals Subglacial Microbiomes Driven By Oxygen Availability
Beneath Earth’s glaciers and ice sheets lies an aquatic realm where ice, water, rock, and microbial life interact, driving chemical reactions that can collectively influence the global carbon cycle, polar […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Desert Worlds, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Gravitational Biology, Habitable Zones, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report
Born On Mars: Multigenerational Phenotypic Change In Caenorhabditis Elegans Under Martian Analog Gravity And Hypomagnetic Fields
Life on Mars will require organisms to endure sustained exposure to reduced gravity and near-absent planetary magnetism, yet little is known about how these environmental factors may combine to potentially […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
First Growth, Then Information: The Path To Genetic Heredity In Protocells
Most theoretical work on the origin of heredity has focused on how genetic information can be maintained without mutational degradation in the absence of error-proofing systems. A simple and parsimonious […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Sample Return, Status Report
An Asgard Archaeon With Internal Membrane Compartments
The emergence of eukaryotes from a merger between an archaeon and a bacterial cell ~two billion years ago involved a profound change in cellular organisation.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report
A Geothermal Amoeba Sets A New Upper Temperature Limit For Eukaryotes
The study of temperature limits has transformed our knowledge of the boundaries of life but has been largely focused on bacteria and archaea. We isolated a novel geothermal amoeba, Incendiamoeba […]