The RNA-World hypothesis remains the most widely accepted framework in origins-of-life research, anchored in compelling biochemical evidence for RNA’s deep evolutionary ancestry. However, this viewpoint routinely extends beyond that and […]
Life
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Status Report
Stereoselective Phosphorylation of d-Ribose as a Driver of Life’s Homochirality
Life demonstrates remarkable homochirality of its major building blocks: nucleic acids, amino acids, sugars, and phospholipids. Phospholipid bilayer vesicles (liposomes) are formed at the water/air interface from Langmuir layers and […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
A Clue For The Hen And Egg Question: The Simultaneous Formation Of Uracil And Amino Acids Under Simulated Hadean Conditions
The origin of life is commonly discussed within two competing conceptual frameworks: the metabolism-first and information-first hypotheses. While each emphasizes a different defining property of early life, modern biochemistry reveals […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Gravitational Biology, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Origin & Evolution of Life, Space Life Science, Status Report
Gravity As A Boundary Condition For The Evolution Of Three-Dimensional Multicellularity
Life evolved under a persistent 1 g field that is continuous, ubiquitous, and directionally structured.
Posted inAstrobiology (general), NASA Astrobiology Program, Status Report
The Origin, Extension, and Future of the “NASA Definition” of Life
The “NASA definition” enjoys broad popularity among scientists, particularly in the astrobiology community: life is “a self-sustained chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution.”
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
Experimental and Numerical Modeling of Liposome Congregation in Meteorite Craters of Early Earth
This paper provides experimental and numerical evidence supporting the occurrence of liposome congregation at the floors of meteor craters on Early Earth.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Chemical Routes to Primitive Membranes: Prebiotic Lipid Formation at the Origin of Life
The origin of life is, to the best of our knowledge, impossible to imagine without the formation of complex prebiotic biomolecules such as RNA, DNA, proteins and lipids.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Biomarkers on the Icy Jovian Moons: Can Europa Also Provide Insights into Life’s Origin?
Within the payloads of JUICE and Europa Clipper, there are instruments suitable for the search of specific biosignatures that can diagnose life tracks in two ways.
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Space Life Science, Status Report
Reflections on Keywords: Definition, Life and Origin
Would a definition of life be really helpful? Undoubtedly, scientists have to specify what they are trying to reproduce in the laboratory. The same applies when implementing a space mission […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report
Exploring Life Detection on Mars: Understanding Challenges in DNA Amplification in Martian Regolith Analogue After Fe Ion Irradiation
The search for life beyond Earth currently hinges on the detection of biosignatures that are indicative of current or past life, with terrestrial life being the sole known example.