DNA Archives

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 […]

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, People Of Astrobiology, Status Report

Liquid–liquid Phase Separation As A Driver Of Abiogenesis And Evolution

by Keith CowingMay 22, 2026May 22, 2026

The origin of life may have emerged through physical mechanisms that enable molecular organization and self-assembly. Building on Alexander Oparin’s concept of coacervate droplets, liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) offers a […]

Overall information on the first and second nitrogen replacements in a benzene ring.

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Novel Chemical Pathways For The Formation Of Nucleobase Precursors Via Benzene π-Bond Addition To HCN

by Keith CowingMay 13, 2026May 13, 2026

We propose a simple and efficient pathway for the formation of precursors to core nucleobases in DNA and RNA using a suite of computational chemistry methods.

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

A Clue For The Hen And Egg Question: The Simultaneous Formation Of Uracil And Amino Acids Under Simulated Hadean Conditions

by Keith CowingMay 13, 2026May 13, 2026

The origin of life is commonly discussed within two competing conceptual frameworks: the metabolism-first and information-first hypotheses. While each emphasizes a different defining property of early life, modern biochemistry reveals […]

Secular evolution of terrestrial boron reservoirs. Comparison of boron concentrations and speciation for early Earth (A) and after the emergence of peraluminous continental crust (B). -- Terra Nova

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

How The Rise Of Continents May Have Set The Stage For Life On Earth

by Keith CowingMay 7, 2026May 7, 2026

Earth’s earliest continents may have set the chemical stage for life by regulating boron levels in ancient oceans, a new study in Terra Nova suggests.

Sediment core sampling procedure adapted from the expedition’s press release (Schmidt Ocean Institute, SOI), licensed under CC BY 4.0 -- CAB

Analog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

New Sulfur-dependent Ecosystem In A Gas Vent In The Depths Of The Chilean Pacific

by Keith CowingMay 7, 2026May 7, 2026

Unlike most similar emanations described to date, this one shows no evidence of methane emission or consumption. The absence of this molecule and its abundance of sulfur make it a […]