Massively parallel DNA sequencing has led to the rapid growth of highly multiplexed experiments in biology. Such experiments produce unique sequencing results that require specific analysis pipelines to decode highly […]
genomics
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Ancient Chemistry May Explain Why Earth Life Uses ATP As The Universal Energy Currency
A simple two-carbon compound may have been a crucial player in the evolution of metabolism before the advent of cells, according to a new study published October 4th in the […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: Developing An Astrobiological Nomenclature Code For Offworld Use
Editor’s note: The article “SeqCode: a nomenclatural code for prokaryotes described from sequence data” recently appeared in the journal Nature Microbiology. The article deals with a process (SeqCode) whereby genomic […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Host-associated Phages Disperse Across The Extraterrestrial Analogue Antarctica
Extreme Antarctic conditions provide one of the closest analogues of extraterrestrial environments. Since air and snow samples, especially from polar regions, yield DNA amounts in the lower picogram range, binning […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Life Imitates Mica
In mythologies and origin stories around the world, various cultures and religions point to clay as the vessel of life, the primordial material that creator gods imbued with a self-sustaining […]
Posted inEuropa, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Microgravity, Press Release, Space Stations, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: Nanopore Sequencing at Mars, Europa and Microgravity Conditions
Nanopore sequencing, as represented by Oxford Nanopore Technologies’ MinION, is a promising technology for in situ life detection and for microbial monitoring including in support of human space exploration, due […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Desert Worlds, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Adaptations Of Endolithic Communities To Abrupt Environmental Changes In A Hyper-arid Desert
The adaptation mechanisms of microbial communities to natural perturbations remain relatively unexplored, particularly in extreme environments. The extremophilic communities of halite (NaCl) nodules from the hyper-arid core of the Atacama […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Stratified Distribution of Organic Molecules at the Planet-Formation Scale in the HH 212 Disk Atmosphere
Formamide (NH2CHO) is considered an important prebiotic molecule because of its potential to form peptide bonds. It was recently detected in the atmosphere of the HH 212 protostellar disk on […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Chemists Create Artificial Protein That Peers Into Earth's Chemical Past
Scientists have developed an artificial protein that could offer new insights into chemical evolution on early Earth. All cells need energy to survive, but because the kinds of chemicals available […]
Posted inCaves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Metagenome-assembled Genomes From Monte Cristo Cave (Diamantina, Brazil) Reveal Prokaryotic Lineages As Functional Models For Life On Mars
Although several studies have explored microbial communities in different terrestrial subsurface ecosystems, little is known about the diversity of their metabolic processes and survival strategies.