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 […]
DNA
Posted inBiochemistry & 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
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.
Posted inAtmospheres, 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
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 […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, 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
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.
Posted inAnalog 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
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 […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Tricorder Tech: A Simple Filter Swap Could Advance Marine eDNA Biomonitoring
Editor’s note: with recent speculation about the potential habitability of other worlds and understanding the processes whereby other biospheres arise and evolve, thought needs to be given to developing sensor […]
![These high-resolution pre-catalysis RNA Pol II EC structures also define the reaction-ready configuration of a complete active site. The 1.96 Å cryo-EM map reveals an unambiguous density of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) substrate with a chair-like triphosphate conformation that is precisely coordinated with two Mg2+ ions. [Full video] Molecular Cell](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Water-molecules-found.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Water Molecules Found To Actively Drive Gene Transcription ProcessUniversity of California – San Diego
Researchers have uncovered a previously hidden layer of complexity in how genes are activated, showing that water molecules play a direct and essential role in one of the most fundamental […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Cryobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Panspermia, Press Release, Radiation, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors
Responses of Cyanobacterial Crusts and Microbial Communities to Extreme Environments of the Stratosphere
How microbial communities respond to extreme conditions in the stratosphere remains unclear.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Panspermia, Status Report
Understanding Life And Homochirality
Two fundamental questions have puzzled scientists for more than 150 years. “How did life become homochiral?” and “why was this specific handedness selected?”
![Overview. (a) Composition of a bacterial cell by weight, with a breakdown of the chemical constituents [21]. About 40% of these compounds are not properly covered in existing datasets. (b) Multi-step workflow used to construct QCell, beginning with the selection of building blocks, followed by conformational sampling and fragment selection, pre-optimization with DFTB+MBD, and finally hybrid PBE0+MBD(-NL) calculations. (c) Coverage of molecular species at the PBE0+MBD(-NL) level of theory, including entries from existing databases and newly generated QCell data for nucleic acid fragments, lipids, sugars, solvated ions, and dimers. -- AI for Science](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Mapping-The-Molecules-Of-Life.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Mapping The Molecules Of Life: Expanding The Quantum-mechanical Foundation For Biomolecular AI
Machine learning force fields (MLFFs) are rapidly transforming molecular simulations by combining the accuracy of quantum mechanics with the speed of classical approaches. However, training reliable MLFFs for biological systems […]