A new study published in Science Advances reveals a surprising twist in the evolutionary history of complex life. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have discovered that a single-celled […]
DNA
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: Detection Of Single Analyte And Environmental Samples With Silicon Nitride Nanopores: Antarctic Dirt Particulates and DNA in Artificial Seawater
Nanopore sensing is a powerful tool for the detection of biomolecules. Solid-state nanopores act as single-molecule sensors that can function in harsh conditions. Their resilient nature makes them attractive candidates […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Cryobiology: How Viruses Affect Algal Blooms In Snow
NASA-supported scientists have reported how interactions between viruses and bacteria during algal blooms could affect snowmelt in polar and subpolar regions on Earth.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Status Report
An Experimental and Numerical Model of the Behavior of Cytosine in Aqueous Solution under Gamma Radiation – Relevance in Prebiotic Chemistry
Cytosine is an essential chemical molecule in living systems, such as DNA and RNA, it is essential in astrobiology to study how it behaves under probable primitive conditions.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Low Temperature Formation of Pyridine and (iso)quinoline Via Neutral Neutral Reactions
Aromatic molecules represent fundamental building blocks in prebiotic chemistry and are contemplated as vital precursors to DNA and RNA nitrogen bases.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report
Genetic Encoding and Expression of RNA Origami Cytoskeletons in Synthetic Cells
The central dogma at the core of molecular biology states that information flows from DNA to RNA and then to protein. Our research seeks to introduce a conceptually novel approach […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report
RNA-Catalyzed Evolution
NASA-supported researchers have used a laboratory technique called directed evolution to create an RNA enzyme that is capable of carrying out RNA polymerase activity. In living cells, protein polymerases catalyze […]
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Giant Viruses Have Been Found On Greenland’s Ice Sheet
Every spring when the sun rises in the Arctic after months of darkness, life returns. The polar bears pop up from their winter lairs, the arctic tern soar back from […]
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Space Life Science, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: The Limits, Capabilities, and Potential for Life Detection with MinION Sequencing in a Paleochannel Mars Analog
No instrument capable of direct life detection has been included on a mission payload to Mars since NASA’s Viking missions in the 1970s. This prevents us from discovering whether life […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Interstellar, Press Release
UH Mānoa Scientists Help Unravel Life’s Cosmic Beginnings
Knowledge about the early forms of life in the universe that may have led to the development of life on Earth remains largely unknown. However, a group of scientists at […]