DNA
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return

DNA Fragments Could Survive In Martian Rocks For More Than 100 Million Years

by Keith Cowing

The Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, has led a study published in Communications Earth and Environment, showing that if life had ever emerged on Mars, DNA fragments could be preserved […]

Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Venus

Stability and Reactivity of Alternative Nucleobases in Concentrated Sulfuric Acid.

by Keith Cowing

Recent findings demonstrate that concentrated sulfuric acid supports rich organic chemistry, including the stability of the canonical DNA bases adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine.

Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors

Tricorder Tech: Protein Sequencing Advance Offers New Insights Into Life’s Foundations

by Keith Cowing

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 […]

Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Do Extreme Environments Shape Microbial Genomes?

by Keith Cowing

Evolutionary biologists have long known that DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of all organisms, contains a record of ancestry. Indeed, […]

Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology, Press Release, Space Agriculture

300 Million Years Of Hidden Genetic Instructions Shaping Plant Evolution Revealed

by Keith Cowing

A deep genetic mystery has baffled plant scientists for decades. Although leaves, stems, and flowers develop in strikingly similar ways across many plant species, scientists have struggled to identify the […]

Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

Growth Of Microorganisms In A Martian Regolith Simulant At Reduced Water Activity

by Keith Cowing

Water activity (aw) quantifies the free water available for microbial growth. At the cellular level, liquid water is paramount for replication and proliferation. Research on Earth-like life suggests that microbial […]

Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Citizen Science / Open Science, Commercial & Private Sector, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report

With Evo 2, AI Can Model And Design The Genetic Code For All Domains Of Life

by Keith Cowing

The DNA foundation model Evo 2, first released in February 2025 as a preprint, is now published in the journal Nature. Trained on the DNA of over 100,000 species across […]

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