Iron-rich minerals, such as hematite (α-Fe2O3), are prominent constituents of the Martian surface; they are considered to be potential indicators of past aqueous activity and habitability.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Formation of Lactic Acid (CH3CH(OH)COOH), a Metabolic Keystone for the Molecular Origins of Life, in Interstellar Ice Analogues
Lactic acid (CH3CH(OH)COOH)–a key biorelevant hydroxycarboxylic acid–is ubiquitous in living organisms and critically linked to the molecular origins of life due to its fundamental role in metabolic pathways.
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Press Release
Semi-synthetic Bacteria Churn Out Unnatural Proteins
Synthetic biologists seek to create new life with forms and functions not seen in nature. Although scientists are a long way from making a completely artificial life form, they have […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
How Terrestrial Life's Building Blocks May Have First Formed
How did life begin? This is one of the most fundamental questions scientists puzzle over. To address it, they have to look not just back to the primordial Earth, but […]