Editor’s note: As we develop the instrumentation for use on offworld Astrobiology Away Teams, compactness and efficiency will be paramount. Given the distances involved team members may well need to […]
DNA
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report
Viruses In Astrobiology
Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth, and yet, they have not received enough consideration in astrobiology.
Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Commercial & Private Sector, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
NASA Spinoff: Astrobiology-Funded Research Enables Better Disease Detection
At first glance, the search for life beyond Earth might not seem related to human illness. But to biochemist Steven Benner, the connection is clear.
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Radiation, Space Stations, Status Report
DNA Damage And Survival Time Course Of Deinococcal Cell Pellets During 3 Years Of Exposure To Outer Space
The hypothesis called “panspermia” proposes an interplanetary transfer of life. Experiments have exposed extremophilic organisms to outer space to test microbe survivability and the panspermia hypothesis. Microbes inside shielding material […]
Posted inBiophysics, Commercial & Private Sector, Education and Outreach, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Stations, Tricorders & Sensors
Offworld Genomics Research: Expanding The Genes in Space™ Toolkit On The International Space Station
For nearly a decade, Genes in Space™ has challenged students to develop spaceflight experiments that use biotechnology to address spaceflight challenges. Founded by Boeing and miniPCRbio, the program relies on […]
Posted inCommercial & Private Sector, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Life Support Systems, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Space Life Science, Space Stations, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Offworld Life Science: Sequencing DNA Samples On ISS For The BioMole Study
NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli sequences DNA samples for the BioMole study demonstrating hardware that can analyze microbes to protect crew health and spacecraft life support […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
New Dimensions Of Extremophile Genomes Discovered
It has long been thought that an organism’s DNA provides clues only about its ancestry and how the various forms of life on Earth are related – the more similar […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Emergence Of Catalytic Function In Prebiotic Information-coding Polymers
Life as we know it relies on the interplay between catalytic activity and information processing carried out by biological polymers.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Icy Worlds, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Biosignature Detection And MinION Sequencing Of Antarctic Cryptoendoliths After Exposure To Mars Simulation Conditions
In the search for life in our Solar System, Mars remains a promising target based on its proximity and similarity to Earth. When Mars transitioned from a warmer, wetter climate […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Correlations Between Life-Detection Techniques and Implications for Sampling Site Selection in Planetary Analog Missions
We conducted an analog sampling expedition under simulated mission constraints to areas dominated by basaltic tephra of the Eldfell and Fimmvörðuháls lava fields (Iceland).