Biosignatures Archives

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Behavior Of Biomolecules Under High-pressure Torsion And Its Implications For Astrobiology

by Keith CowingApril 5, 2026April 5, 2026

Understanding the fate of biomolecules under extreme conditions is central to astrobiology and the origin of life.

A closer view of the supercritical climbing wind ripples that provide direct evidence of a sandstorm, roughly three and a half billion years ago. Credit NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

Serendipitous Discovery Of Martian Ripple Marks Reveals An Ancient Sandstorm

by Keith CowingApril 4, 2026April 4, 2026

The search for life on Mars involves the efforts of scientists from many different disciplines. An important aspect of that search is to study Martian sedimentary rocks for information about […]

Carbon-silicate cycle includes a carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolution in rainwater to form carbonic acid (H2CO3) that falls on land and oceans; b reaction of H2CO3 and silicate (SiO32-) to form silicon dioxide (SiO2) and carbonate (CO32-), which is sequestered into oceanic crust for further recycling to the mantle followed by release into the atmosphere through volcanic activity; and c regeneration of CO2 through reaction between SiO2 and CO32-. Carbon fixation includes (d) reduction of CO2 to methane (CH4) through (e) the production of H2 from H2O on the surface of iron sulfide minerals that serve as sources of dissolved ferrous ion (Fe2+), which is photochemically oxidized to ferric ions (Fe3+.) in water vapor. Carbon monoxide (CO) either reacts with (f) H2O for synthesis of formic acid (HCOOH) or g ammonia (NH3) for synthesis of formamide (HCONH2). Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) formation may occur through either h reaction between CH4 and NH3 or i reaction of CH3• and N• through free radical mechanism. j HCN further reacts with H2O to produce CO and NH3.that also is produced through (k) N2 fixation under high temperatures, both can be sequestered into the mantle; l NH3 photolysis by UV radiation gives rise to N2 and H2; m hydrothermal H2 production occurs through the H2O oxidation by Fe2+ into H2 used for N2 fixation in the atmosphere. In this figure, royalty-free mountain and meteorite images designed by Freepik platform (www.freepik.com) are used. -- Nature via PubMed (open access)

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Redox Chemistry Of Early Earth And The Origin Of Life

by Keith CowingApril 4, 2026April 4, 2026

Multiple controversial scenarios have been proposed explaining the emergence of life, both from environmental and chemical perspectives.

Schematic diagram showing the relative depths of the CROMO well array, Quarry Valley and Core Shed Wells, with reference to the lithostratigraphic levels from CSW1-1 cores. Depth of the well, in meters, is shown below each well in the cartoon. In the field, water levels differed slightly. Stars suggest zones of inferred lateral flow of water from formation in CSW1-4 and QV1-3 . Redrawn after Cardace et al. (2013). -- Frontiers in Microbiology

Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report

Lipid Biomarkers Reveal Dominance Of Aerobic Methanotrophy In A Continental Serpentinizing System

by Keith CowingApril 3, 2026April 3, 2026

Sources and sinks of methane within an advanced serpentinization-influenced system were investigated at the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory (CROMO) in Lower Lake, California. Subsurface water-rock reactions at CROMO contribute […]

Four diagnostics of electron bombardment on Europa’s leading hemisphere: (a) total deposited-energy flux, (b) deposited-energy fraction, (c) mean secondary-electron energy, and (d) e-folding (≈ 63%) deposition depth. Cells with no electron flux in the relevant energy range are shown in gray. -- astro-ph.IM

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Geant4-IcyMoons: Simulating Electron Interaction Physics in Irradiated Astrophysical Ices

by Keith CowingApril 3, 2026April 3, 2026

Energetic particles continuously process water ice across astrophysical and planetary environments, from interstellar clouds and comets to icy planetary surfaces. Interpreting the resulting observables requires a physically grounded description of […]

MIRI F1500W light curves of GJ 3473 b at secondary eclipse. The raw and binned data are shown in light grey and purple, respectively. The pink curves correspond to the median model predictions from the joint fit, while the brown data points depict the binned model. The model shown here corresponds to the G. Tovar Mendoza et al. (2022) flare model case, as described in Appendix C, used to model the flare-like feature during the second visit. The dotted vertical lines show the nominally masked region in the second visit. Compared to Figure 2, this figure displays the data without correcting for systematics. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Hot Rocks Survey V: Secondary Eclipse Photometry of GJ 3473 b with JWST/MIRI

by Keith CowingApril 3, 2026April 3, 2026

JWST is transforming our ability to characterise small exoplanets, from sub-Neptunes to rocky worlds. A key open question is whether highly irradiated rocky planets can retain atmospheres or are stripped […]

Simultaneously collected raw spectral images in array coordinates from band 2 (left) and band 5 (right) collected during the first practice survey and the first crossing of the Galactic plane. Bands 2 and 5 view the same sky across the DBS. Each image spans the full 3.5◦ FOV of the array with wavelength increasing from bottom to top. The horizontal banding structure observed observed in band 5 corresponds to diffuse Bracket Alpha emission in the Galaxy at 4.05 µm. -- astro-ph.IM

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

The SPHEREx Instrument: Calibration, Testing And Performance Measurements Of The NIR 2 Spectroscopic Surveyor From The Laboratory To In-orbit Commissioning

by Keith CowingApril 2, 2026June 10, 2026

The SPHEREx near-infrared space telescope is an all-sky spectroscopic survey mission launched on March 12th, 2025 UTC.

Sahara Dust Storm Over The Canary islands As seen by Sentinel-3 Modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2026), processed by ESA LICENCE CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard Licence

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Desert/Water Planet Interaction: Sahara Dust Storm Over The Canary islands

by Keith CowingApril 2, 2026April 2, 2026

Earlier this week strong winds over the Saharan Desert blew westwards pushing clouds of dust and sand over southern and central Morocco and out into the Atlantic Ocean. This is […]

The schematic depiction of the dual role of amino acid monomers in nonenzymatic RNA replication (left panel, blue dotted box) and prebiotic compartmentalization (right panel, green dotted box). The background is of a hypothetical early Earth geothermal pool niche, which depicts molecules in a heterogeneous prebiotic milieu. In the case of nonenzymatic replication (left panel), the coexistence of amino acid monomers (stick models) along with the template sequence and the primer RNA (the brown and green colour strands, respectively, in the RNA cartoon), impacts the incoming monomers’ addition during the copying of information (activated nucleotides, multicoloured floating molecules). In case of prebiotic compartmentalization (right panel), these amino acid monomers act as a buffering agent while coexisting with fatty acids, and facilitate robust vesicle formation even at suboptimal pH. -- Astrobiology

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Amino Acids as Molecular Linchpins in the Fundamental Prebiotic Processes of RNA Copying and Vesicle Formation

by Keith CowingApril 1, 2026April 1, 2026

In addition to being delivered via exogenous means (e.g., chondritic meteorites and comets), amino acids are hypothesized to have been present on early Earth via Urey–Miller-type abiotic processes.

Schematic procedure for compound confirmation, illustrated with examples of both confirmed (right half) and excluded (left half) compounds. (a) Total ion chromatograms (TIC) of the Titan aerosol analog (blue line) and standard samples (black line). (b-c) The mass components at corresponding retention times for hydroxyproline and hypoxanthine. (d-e) Comparison of the relative intensities of four ion pairs between the sample and the standards. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Life Support Systems, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report

Quantifying Building Blocks of Life in Planetary Analog Materials: Implications for Prebiotic Chemistry and Biosignature Identification

by Keith CowingApril 1, 2026April 1, 2026

Building blocks of life such as amino acids, nucleobases, and fatty acids are central to prebiotic chemistry and represent key targets in the search for planetary biosignatures. In planetary materials, […]

Biosignatures

Behavior Of Biomolecules Under High-pressure Torsion And Its Implications For Astrobiology

Serendipitous Discovery Of Martian Ripple Marks Reveals An Ancient Sandstorm

Redox Chemistry Of Early Earth And The Origin Of Life

Lipid Biomarkers Reveal Dominance Of Aerobic Methanotrophy In A Continental Serpentinizing System

Geant4-IcyMoons: Simulating Electron Interaction Physics in Irradiated Astrophysical Ices

Hot Rocks Survey V: Secondary Eclipse Photometry of GJ 3473 b with JWST/MIRI

The SPHEREx Instrument: Calibration, Testing And Performance Measurements Of The NIR 2 Spectroscopic Surveyor From The Laboratory To In-orbit Commissioning

Desert/Water Planet Interaction: Sahara Dust Storm Over The Canary islands

Amino Acids as Molecular Linchpins in the Fundamental Prebiotic Processes of RNA Copying and Vesicle Formation

Quantifying Building Blocks of Life in Planetary Analog Materials: Implications for Prebiotic Chemistry and Biosignature Identification

PJ Harvey Announces New Song “Voyager”

Fifty Years after Viking: The Promise of Solar System Microbiology and Microbial Ecology

Characterising Transiting Exoplanets At Long Orbital Period: Lessons Learned For PLATO From 10 Years Of Monitoring The HIP41378 System

Implications Of Self-consistent H2O Ice Optical Constants On Radiative Transfer Models Of Disks

The GAPS Programme at TNG LXXIV. A Reanalysis Of The Planetary Systems TOI-1272 And TOI-1694 With HARPS-N And Retraction Of The Planetary Interpretation Of TOI-1272 c