A planet’s atmospheric constituents (e.g., O2, O3, H2O, CO2, CH4, N2O) can provide clues to its surface habitability, and may offer biosignature targets for remote life detection efforts. The plethora […]
biosignature
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release
Atmospheric Seasonality as an Exoplanet Biosignature
Current investigations of exoplanet biosignatures have focused on static evidence of life, such as the presence of biogenic gases like O2 or CH4. However, the expected diversity of terrestrial planet […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release
A Procedure For Observing Rocky Exoplanets to Maximize the Likelihood That Atmospheric Oxygen Will Be A Biosignature
Here we advocate an observational strategy to help prioritize exoplanet observations. It starts with more easily obtained observational data, and ranks exoplanets for more difficult follow-up observations based on the […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
Biomarkers Helped Solving The Mystery of 500-million-year-old Macroorganisms
A postgraduate student of the Faculty of Geology of MSU, working with an international scientific group, participated in chemical analysis of biomarkers — compounds that remained after the decomposition of […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release
Spectra of Earth-like Planets Through Geological Evolution Around FGKM Stars
Future observations of terrestrial exoplanet atmospheres will occur for planets at different stages of geological evolution. We expect to observe a wide variety of atmospheres and planets with alternative evolutionary […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release
Limited Phosphorus Recycling Can Suppress a Planet’s Biosphere
The amount of biomass — life — in Earth’s ancient oceans may have been limited due to low recycling of the key nutrient phosphorus, according to new research by the […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release
Organic Haze as a Biosignature in Anoxic Earth-like Atmospheres
Early Earth may have hosted a biologically-mediated global organic haze during the Archean eon (3.8-2.5 billion years ago). This haze would have significantly impacted multiple aspects of our planet, including […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release
Exoplanets: Possible Biosignatures
The ancestor philosophers’ dream of thousands of new worlds is finally realised: about 3500 extrasolar planets have been discovered in the neighborhood of our Sun. Most of them are very […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release
Glint From Ice Particles In Earth's Atmosphere Could Be Used To Study Exoplanets
One million miles from Earth, a NASA camera is capturing unexpected flashes of light reflecting off our planet. The homeward-facing instrument on NOAA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory, or DSCOVR, launched […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: Development Of Solid-State Nanopore Technology For Life Detection
Introduction: Biomarkers for life on Earth are an important starting point to guide the search for life elsewhere. However, the search for life beyond Earth should incorporate technologies capable of […]