The search for exoplanet biosignatures is guided by whether planetary environments can sustain photosynthesis.
botany
Posted inTerraforming & Geoengineering
Conceptual Thermal Constraints On The Growth Of The First Tree On A Terraformed Mars
The environmental conditions on present‑day Mars are far outside the range tolerated by known complex terrestrial life.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Plant Biology, Status Report
Novel Raman Signature Evidences An Unknown Cyanobacterial Pigment
From the first botanical characterization of cyanobacteria about two centuries ago to contemporary studies, only two categories of extracellular UV-screening pigments have been considered: scytonemin which is very well described […]
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Plant Biology, Press Release
The Big Bang Of Plant life: Discovery Sheds Light On How Cells Form Walls
Cell walls are a crucial structure of plant life, protecting cells from damage, giving plants shape, and containing energy-rich nutrients. And yet the process of how the walls begin to […]
Posted inFossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology, Press Release
Uncovering Ancient DNA Sequences That Control Gene Function Across Plant Evolution
A ground-breaking study has traced thousands of conserved regulatory elements back 300 million years, revealing deep principles of plant genome evolution – a discovery that could pave the way for […]
![[Left] Gene duplication results in paralog-specific divergence of ancient CNSs. [Right] CNSs identified within experimentally validated CREs. (A-F) -- Science](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/300-million-years.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology, Press Release, Space Agriculture
300 Million Years Of Hidden Genetic Instructions Shaping Plant Evolution Revealed
A deep genetic mystery has baffled plant scientists for decades. Although leaves, stems, and flowers develop in strikingly similar ways across many plant species, scientists have struggled to identify the […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Plant Biology, Press Release
How Proteins Crucial To Photosynthesis On Earth Are Arranged
Research led by scientists at Washington State University has revealed insights on how plants form a microscopic landscape of proteins crucial to photosynthesis, the basis of Earth’s food and energy […]
Posted inGaia - Planetary Perspectives, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology, Press Release
From Sea To Soil: Molecular Changes Suggest How Algae Evolved Into Plants
Before plants evolved, vegetative life consisted of primitive green algae living in the sea. Like plants, these algae survived by performing photosynthesis, turning sunlight into energy. However, little light reaches […]
Posted inLife Support Systems, Microgravity, Plant Biology, Space Agriculture, Space Life Science, Status Report
Understanding The ‘Spaceflight Treatment’ In Plant Space Biology: Experimental Practices, Metadata Workflows, And Data Re-analysis
The boundaries between targeted interventions, background factors, and confounders are concerns in all biological experimentation.
Posted inAstronauts and Explorers, Life Support Systems, Microgravity, Missions & Hardware, Plant Biology, Space Agriculture, Space Life Science, Status Report
Offworld Space Botany Hardware
NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers is pictured inside the cupola with space botany hardware that supports the LEO Integrated Flori-culture Experiment (LIFE) 01 (Rhodium Plant LIFE) investigation.