Cyanobacteria form a morphologically and phylogenetically diverse group of oxygenic phototrophic bacteria inhabiting a wide range of environments, including extreme habitats such as hot springs and volcanic steam vents.
extremophiles
![The multiple roles of methanogens in the modern-day carbon cycle. Processes shown in red contribute to greenhouse gas production. Part of the methane is removed through microbial methane oxidation (A)MO and photochemical reactions, where e is a generic electron donor (e.g., arsenate or sulfate) that is reduced to eH. Processes depicted in green sequester CO2, storing it long-term as carbonates. The size of the arrows relates to the relative biogeochemical importance of the process. The metabolic activity of methanogens may locally alter pH and produce copious amounts of EPS (seen as a veil surrounding the cells in the microphotograph (yellow arrow)). These EPS bind cations (e.g., Ca, Mg) and act as nucleation site, while elevated pH enhances the carbonate precipitation in microbial mats [196]. This contribution by methanogens may ultimately produce microbialites [183] -- preprints.org](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Methanogens-Through-Geological.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Methanogens Through Geological Time And Space: Impact On Planetary Evolution and Significance For Life Beyond Earth
Methanogens, also known as methanogenic archaea, are among the most ancient and widespread microorganisms, despite their particular requirements for growth. These oxygen-sensitive microorganisms have impacted climate and biogeochemical cycles throughout […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Terrestrial Iron Biosignatures And Their Potential In Solar System Exploration For Astrobiology
Iron (Fe) is one of the most abundant elements in the solar system. It plays an important role in life by participating in redox reactions for energy generation (e.g., by […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Fats Provide Clues To Life At Its Limits In The Deep Sea
In their study, first author Palash Kumawat of the Geosciences Department at the University of Bremen and his colleagues used lipid biomarker analyses to decipher the survival strategies of the […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Microbes At Red Sea Vents Show How Life And Geology Shape Each Other
A new study led by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST; Saudi Arabia) Professor Alexandre Rosado has revealed an unusual microbial world in the Hatiba Mons hydrothermal vent […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return
Hydrothermal Plumes As Invisible Transport Pathways For Iron
The study [Iron’s irony: speciation, complexation & microbial processing of Fe in hydrothermal plumes, Communications Earth & Environment, Nature (open access)] synthesizes existing research and reinterprets it to explain how […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
A Hybrid Iron/Green-Rust-Urea Model for Prebiotic Chemistry: A Synthesis of Testable Pathways for Planetary Astrobiology
We propose a quantitative, testable framework for abiogenesis that links submarine alkaline vents, which supply H2, ΔpH, and Fe/Fe–S catalysis, to subaerial hot-spring fields that provide wet–dry concentration and UV-driven […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report
Investigating Changes In Thiophene-bearing Quinones Of The Archaeon Acidianus manzaensis After Exposure To Mars-like Conditions
In the search for reliable biomarkers in other planetary environments such as Mars, molecules that are stable over geological timescales, while preserving indicative information about their potential biological origin, are […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Analytical Characterization Approaches to Measure Prebiotic-Synthesis Products in Salty Environments
Experiments exploring potential emergence-of-life chemistry in a laboratory setting critically depend on simulating realistic early-Earth environments. Such experimental conditions include the implementation of controlled high temperatures and pressures, anoxic gas […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Assessment Of Methods For Evaluating Structural Stability Of Cell Envelope Fragments In Hypersaline Brines As Biosignatures Of Ancient Microbial Life
The study of biomolecular stability of proteins and lipids in extreme saline environments is critical for understanding the preservation of potential microbial biosignatures of ancient life on Earth and other […]