Escherichia coli Archives - Astrobiology

A) A close-up, exploded view of the spinpod optical system and diagram of operations. To take fluorescence measurements, excitation light first passes through a bidirectional optical probe from the LED light source to illuminate liquid cultures encased in a spinpod. Fluorescence emission then returns through the optical probe to the spectrometer for measurement, through a longpass filter that reduces signal from the excitation wavelength. To take optical density measurements, a red LED mounted toward the optical probe but on the opposite side of the spinpod illuminates the spinpod ("OD illumination hardware"). This light passes through the spinpod and to the spectrometer without filtering. The spinpod is housed in two joined Carrier Extenders with additional Carrier Extenders placed inline as spacers. B) Photograph of the system diagrammed in panel A; optical probe is in front. Tape has been applied to the outside of carrier extenders to shield the optical path from external light. C) and D) Rear and front close-up views, respectively, of the OD illumination hardware. -- biorxiv.org

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Life Support Systems, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Space Stations, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

Real-time, In Situ Fluorescence And Optical Density Measurements Of Liquid Cultures In Simulated Microgravity

by Keith CowingMarch 30, 2026March 30, 2026

As human space exploration expands to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, there is a growing need to study the effects of altered gravity on the microbial systems that we will […]

(A) The model of EnINpro is colored by different domains with arrows representing β strands. The model highlights a β-solenoid fold (gray, purple) adjacent to the disulfide capping motif (orange). (B) Cross section through the central domain region. Residues are identified by their one-letter codes. Boxes indicated the location of the characteristic TQT, SLT, and YGS motifs. (C) Cross section of the central domain’s capping structure, where adjacent cysteine residues can form disulfide bonds that likely stabilize the β-solenoid fold. -- Science Advances via PubMed

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

Fungal Species Discovered With The Ability To Freeze Water

by Keith CowingMarch 17, 2026March 17, 2026

Ice-nucleating proteins (INpros) catalyze ice formation at high subzero temperatures, with major biological and environmental implications.

Transmission electron micrograph of the bacteriophage Qβ attached to sex pilus of the bacterium Escherichia coli -- Wikpedia

Analog Studies, Biophysics, Gravitational Biology, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Space Life Science, Status Report

Impact Of Simulated Microgravity In Short-term Evolution Of An RNA Bacteriophage

by Keith CowingDecember 24, 2025December 24, 2025

Introduction Microgravity is a critical environmental factor in space that can alter microbial physiology and virus–host interactions. Understanding these effects is essential for planetary protection and crew health during long-term […]

Workflow of the tracking methodology. The microscopic images have a resolution of 2560 × 1920 pixels, covering a field of view of 141 µm × 106 µm. This workflow allows for the accurate tracking of microbial paths that are overlapping, even in datasets with a low signal-to-noise ratio. This approach is based on the work of [59,62]. -- Life

Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

Viability and Motility of Escherichia coli Under Elevated Martian Salt Stresses

by Keith CowingJanuary 13, 2025January 12, 2025

This study investigates the effects of three Martian-relevant salts—sodium chlorate, sodium perchlorate, and sodium chloride—on the viability and motility of Escherichia coli, a model organism for understanding microbial responses to […]

Quiescent stellar spectrum (blue), superflare peak spectrum (green; blackbody with 9000 K), and total spectrum (black) scaled to the orbit of TRAPPIST-1 𝑒. The Kepler transmission curve is shown in red, and the relevant UV ranges as gray shaded areas. -- MNRAS

Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Radiation, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report, TRAPPIST-1

An Experimental Study Of The Biological Impact Of A Superflare On The TRAPPIST-1 Planets

by Keith CowingNovember 8, 2024November 8, 2024

In the present study, we conducted experiments to assess the biological effects of high fluences of UV radiation (UVR) on the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system (planets e, f, g within the […]

Average FLEXPART time-altitude 120-hr backwards simulation for the composite of all 10 flights in 2014 (X axis denotes hours since 10.000 particles -log10 scale- were thrown at 3 h steps from Tokyo; colours denote concentration of particles in the total column from the surface up to 5 km; see Methods). “F” denotes flight days.--PNAS

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release

Microorganisms Can Travel Vast Distances In Earth’s Troposphere

by Keith CowingSeptember 17, 2024September 17, 2024

Analysis of air samples taken at altitudes of up to 3,000 metres above Japan has revealed the presence of a vast range of viable bacteria and fungi transported by air […]

An artist’s rendition of Saturn’s moon Enceladus depicts hydrothermal activity on the seafloor and cracks in the moon’s icy crust that allow material from the watery interior to be ejected into space. New research shows that instruments destined for the next missions could find traces of a single cell in a single ice grain contained in a plume. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Signs Of Life Are Detectable In A Single Ice Grain Emitted From Icy Moons

by Keith CowingMarch 23, 2024March 23, 2024

The ice-encrusted oceans of some of the moons orbiting Saturn and Jupiter are leading candidates in the search for extraterrestrial life. A new lab-based study led by the University of […]