DNA Archives

(a) MCM2-7 double-hexamer (DH). (b) DDK-activated MCM2-7 DH in complex with Sld3-Sld7. (c) CDK activity promotes recruitment of helicase activation factors GINS, Polε, Sld2, and Dpb11. (d) Sld2-GINSDpb11-Polε-induced MCM2-7 ATPase-dependent activity results in the splitting of the DH and a rotation of the two CMGE complexes against each other. (e) Mcm10 recruitment promotes DNA extrusion and complete separation of the two hexamers. (f) Extended unwinding promotes the recruitment of Tof1, part of the replication fork protection complex. Loading factors that do not form part of the replication fork are shown in grey. -- Nature

Pinpointing Where Cells First Begin Copying DNA

by Keith CowingJuly 25, 2026July 25, 2026

[Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Medical Sciences] Every time a cell divides, it must faithfully copy its entire genetic instruction manual. Errors during this process can damage the genome, […]

a) Biological evolution as stochastic optimization: Initially, wild-type cells x grow up a population. A mutant y grows up a population. The populations x and y compete. The winner (greater population) then fetches more resources. Fitness landscapes at the bottom show how the mutant is an experiment, where the winner decides the next step direction. b) Evolution annotated in terms of the Central Dogma: (Left, green) Wildtype starting point, NA encodes PR, which gives fitness F. (Top, red), Mutation in the blueprint NA, becoming NA’. (Red, green) both NA sequences grow up into populations. (Next) The populations compete for fitness. The winner, Fx now carries with it the winning sequence NAx and protein P Rx. -- [biorxiv.org]

Origin & Evolution of Life

RNA And Proteins Joined Up At The Origins Of Life: Persistence Is The Point

by Keith CowingJuly 21, 2026July 21, 2026

[biorxiv.org] What drove nucleic acids (NA) to associate with proteins (PR) at the Origins of Life? We reason from polymer physics and the Central Dogma (CD) that the fitness value […]

A transmission electron micrograph shows Deinococcus radiodurans, a bacterium that is resistant to extreme levels of ionizing radiation and desiccation. Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory isolated several strains of the bacterium from sediments collected from under a nuclear waste storage tank at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. -- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory via NASA

Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments

Rising From The Fragments: A Multi-factorial Regulatory Framework Of DNA Damage Response In Deinococcus radiodurans

by Keith CowingJuly 15, 2026July 15, 2026

[Extremophiles] Understanding the coordinated regulation of gene expression in response to environmental challenges is critical for unravelling the resistance strategies of the extremophiles that endure extreme habitats.

An RNA library containing a partially randomized sequence having an estimated complexity of ~1014 sequences

Origin & Evolution of Life

How Early RNA-based Life May Have Repaired Its Genome

by Keith CowingJuly 14, 2026July 14, 2026

[University of Notre Dame] In most modern cells, DNA stores the genetic blueprint, and relies on proteins to replicate, repair and build from those blueprints. At the same time, proteins […]

Composite image from the Galactic Center. Green and yellow: 8 µm and 24 µm emission observed with Spitzer (Churchwell et al. 2009; Carey et al. 2009). Red: 20 cm emission imaged with MeerKAT (Heywood et al. 2019, 2022) and the Green Bank Telescope (GBT; Law et al. 2008). Image adapted from Henshaw et al. (2023; doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2203.11223) and Longmore et al. (2026; 10.48550/arXiv.2602.20340). Credits: Ashley Barnes/Izaskun Jiménez-Serra/Juan García de la Concepción

Astrochemistry

Sugar Erythrulose Discovered In Interstellar Space

by Keith CowingJuly 13, 2026July 13, 2026

[Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)] Sugars are key biomolecules in living organisms, as they form the backbone of DNA and RNA and play a fundamental role in metabolic processes. In […]

In a study published in Nature Electronics, a Harvard-led team reports a silicon chip that synthesized 64 distinct DNA sequences on its surface in parallel – not by using the solvent-heavy chemistry that dominates custom DNA manufacturing today, but through a water-based enzymatic process. -- Nature Electronics

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors

Tricorder Tech: A Schematic Of Core Steps In The Enzymatic Synthesis Platform

by Keith CowingJune 22, 2026June 21, 2026

Editor’s note: If you are on a long term mission or on an away team on another world, you might want your tricorder to be able to do some quick […]

The morphology of bacterial cells is altered following exposure to simulated Martian conditions. TEM visualization of K. pneumoniae (A) and S. marcescens (C), size (FSC) and complexity (SSC) quantification by flow cytometry of K. pneumoniae (B) and S. marcescens (D). Scale bars are 500 nm in panel A and 250 nm in panel C. n = 5–7 biological replicates from two independent experiments. *P ≤ 0.05, **P ≤ 0.01. Friedman test followed by Dunn’s multiple comparison test. FSC, forward scatter; M9, minimal media; SSC, side scatter; UV, ultraviolet. Effects of simulated Martian environmental stressors on specific human pathogen-immune system interactions, mBio via PubMed

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Mars, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release

Pathogens Survive Conditions On Extraterrestrial Locations

by Keith CowingJune 16, 2026June 16, 2026

Micro organisms from our planet could survive on celestial bodies where water is present, such as Mars. That is the conclusion of PhD candidate Tommaso Zaccaria after experiments with simulated […]

The DNA repair and ROS detoxification genes in the Curtobacterium aetherium L6-1 genome not found in strain DSM 20129.The genomes were compared using the BLAST Ring Image Generator (BRIG) with the blastp algorithm. The rings represent the following (from innermost to outermost): ① GC content, ② GC skew of the L6-1 genome, ③ percent identity to L6-1 of the protein orthologs found in strain DSM 20129, and ④ DNA repair (black) and ROS detoxification (gray) genes. The genes present in L6-1 but absent in DSM 20129 are indicated in red. -- Microorganisms

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report

The Genetic Determinants of Extreme UV Radiation and Desiccation Tolerance in a Bacterium Recovered from the Stratosphere

by Keith CowingJune 15, 2026June 15, 2026

Microbes that survive transport to and in the stratosphere endure extremes of low temperature, atmospheric pressure, and relative humidity, as well as high fluxes in ultraviolet radiation (UVR).

Trillion Gene Atlas -- Basecamp Research

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Press Release, Sample Return, Space Life Science, Tricorders & Sensors

Planetary Genomics: Basecamp Research Launches The Trillion Gene Atlas

by Keith CowingJune 11, 2026June 11, 2026

Editor’s note: If we aspire to mount expeditions to new worlds and then embrace the task of characterizing and quantifying whatever life forms we find, the ability to map and […]

Adsorption of crystals of a biological chiral molecule onto a gold-coated cobalt surface. Larger crystals of one specific form of the molecule (left) tend to accumulate on this surface to a greater degree than those of its mirror-image form (right). In the left image, the crystals reach heights of about 1.2 nm, whereas in the right image they do not exceed 0.8 nm. The physical advantage of one form over the other in accumulating on the magnetic surface suggests that, in a competitive setting, it would become the dominant (“winning”) form. -- Weizmann Institute of Science

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release

A Glimpse At The Origins Of Life Through A Deceptive Mirror

by Keith CowingMay 29, 2026May 29, 2026

Imagine looking at yourself in the mirror, only to find that your reflection is governed by different laws than you are: Identical movements produce different outcomes, and what seems like […]