[Spectrochimica Acta Part A] The detection of organic molecules at trace concentration levels remains a critical challenge for astrobiology research.
Biosignatures
Posted inMars
Deep Learning of SHERLOC Raman Spectra For Facilitating Mars Astromaterial Identification
[Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy] Raman spectroscopy has been explored for planetary exploration, particularly through the SHERLOC instrument for Mars habitability and astromaterial search tasks.
![Atmospheric energy deposition profiles of GCRs and SEPs in the atmosphere of K2-18b for different magnetic field strengths. The profiles have been smoothed to improve visual clarity. For visibility, the deposited energy corresponding to B=300 µT has been multiplied by a factor of 10. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Energy-.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inSpace Weather & Heliophysics
Energy Deposition In Planetary And Exoplanetary Atmospheres Induced By Cosmic Rays
[astro-ph.EP] Cosmic rays can significantly alter the abundances of certain species in the upper layers of planetary atmospheres, especially in terms of their biosignatures. To fully understand the extent of […]
![Overview of the PlainMap mapping workflow. PlainMap processes heterogeneous FASTQ input through header-based pairing inference, pilot subsampling and deterministic chunking, fastp preprocessing, mode-specific mapping, BAM processing, and summary-statistic generation. Optional outputs include mapDamage analyses and FASTQ files containing unmapped reads. -- [q-bio.GN]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/PlainMap.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics
PlainMap: A Lightweight, Restartable Mapping Pipeline For Ancient And Modern DNA
[q-bio.GN] Mapping sequencing reads to a reference genome requires preprocessing and alignment choices that can vary with library type, fragment length, sequencing platform, and reference genome.
![Low-angle backscatter electron (LABE) imaging (Supplement 9) of sample OREX-220001-1 consisting of particles obtained from inside the SRC but exterior to the sample canister — including fragments of Bennu, SRC char, and metal. FG, fine-grained. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/OSIRIS-REx.png?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Posted inSample Return
OSIRIS-REx Returned a Pristine Sample of Asteroid Bennu: Takeaways from the Mission’s Contamination Control and Knowledge Program
[astro-ph.EP] NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission had the objective of delivering a pristine sample from asteroid (101955) Bennu to Earth for scientific analysis–where “pristine” signifies the absence of foreign materials that could […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
The Epistemic Risk of the 31st Spore: If Planets Aren’t Fine Tuned, We’re Doing Life Detection Wrong
[physics.pop-ph] Exploration of planetary bodies within our solar system will be essential for understanding the origin of life on Earth and the distribution of life in the universe.
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
The Long-term Persistence Of Microbial Biospheres Introduces A Temporal Bias 1 Into The Drake Equation: Implications For The Search For Extraterrestrial Life
[eartharxiv.org] The Drake equation was designed to estimate the number of communicative technological civilisations, not the prevalence of life. Its lifetime term therefore describes a detectable technological phase that may […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
A Dual-mineral Protection Mechanism For Organic Matter Preservation And Its Implications For Mars Habitability And Biosignature Detection
[Communications Earth & Environment] Understanding organic matter preservation in extreme environments is crucial for detecting potential biosignatures on Mars.
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
The Emergence Of Life In The Light Of Evolution
[q-bio.PE] The origin of life is often framed primarily as a chemical problem, yet life s defining feature is evolution.
Posted inTitan
Dragonfly Gets Wired Up While Titan Landing Area Is Named
[NASA]. Peeking into the clean room at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, it might be one of the first things you notice about NASA’s Dragonfly: […]