[Microbiome] Background: Iron, the most abundant redox-active metal in the Earth’s crust, is coupled to numerous biogeochemi- cal cycles. However, the mechanisms of iron oxidation and the organisms involved remain […]
genomics
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics
VentVirGenomes: A Global Ocean Hydrothermal Vent Virus Genome Dataset for Exploring Diversity, Function, and Host Interactions
[Nature] Ocean hydrothermal vents constitute chemically driven oases of life that fundamentally differ from photosynthesis-based ecosystems.
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics
The Biogeography Of Hydrothermal Vent Giant Viruses Across Earth’s Global Ocean
[biorxiv.org] Viruses are the most abundant known biological entities in the ocean and play central role in microbial ecology. However, the patterns and drivers of their biogeographic distribution across global […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics
UV Photodamage Pathways And The Evolutionary Selection Of Thymine Over Uracil In Early Genetic Systems
[PNAS] The evolutionary selection of thymine over uracil in DNA presents a paradox from a photostability perspective, since thymine is found to be more susceptible to photodamage from the intense […]
Posted inBiophysics
Reversion To The Meta Body Form Of Life After Complete Cell Death In Pure Liquid Water
[biorxiv.org] The prevailing view holds that simpler animate beings predating the dawn of cellular life once existed, yet they have long since vanished from the present-day Earth. Our hypothesis posits […]
Posted inCryobiology
Ice Drives The Emergence Of Functional Protocells
[biorxiv.org] A defining feature of living systems is the high local concentration of diverse molecular components within membrane-bounded compartments.
![The RDP network of molecular cell biology. A schematic representation of the autocatalytic (RAF) set arrangement of components and processes constituting the biosynthesis network for the production of new RNA, DNA and protein (i.e., RDP) strands in living cells (gray background). The monomer units of RNA, DNA, and protein strands—ribonucleoside triphosphates (rNTPs), deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs), and amino acids—are considered to represent raw materials (“food”) -- [q-bio.MN]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/System.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics
System-evolutionary View Of RNA Presence In Living Cells
[q-bio.MN] Our guiding question for this article was: How did RNA adjust its life when the RNA world era came to an end? RNA has its practical execution side in […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
The Unresolved Paradox of Viable Microorganisms in Ancient Halite
[LIFE] Reports of viable microorganisms from ancient halite create an unusual test of the biological limits of cellular survival.
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
From Searching For Extraterrestrial Biosignatures To Exploring The Origins Of Life: A Prebiotic Chemistry Perspective
[Fundamental Research]. The search for extraterrestrial life represents one of humanity’s most profound scientific endeavors. This review examines the role of prebiotic chemistry in our quest to detect extraterrestrial life.
![[Tree of Life] The Wellcome Sanger Institute’s Tree of Life programme has announced ambitious plans to accelerate publication of genome notes from approximately 30 per month to 200, expanding access to research that is supporting advances in agriculture, conservation, and medicine. This significant increase will be facilitated by a new specialised workflow developed by F1000 and the Wellcome Sanger Institute for Wellcome Open Research.](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/treeoflife1-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C722&ssl=1)
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics
Tree of Life Program Targets Publication Of 200 Genome Notes Per Month
Editor’s note: If we aspire to mount expeditions to new worlds and then embrace the task of characterizing and quantifying whatever life forms we find, the ability to map and […]