Simple Summary: Organic matter is an integral part of all living things on our planet, but abiotic (not relating to life) organic matter can be found throughout the Solar System […]
Life
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Metal Catalysis Acting on Nitriles in Early Earth Hydrothermal Systems
Hydrothermal systems are areas in which heated fluids and organic molecules rush through basaltic material rich in metals and minerals. By studying malononitrile and acetonitrile, we examine the effects of […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Life Unknown: Preliminary Scheme for a Magnetotrophic Organism
Life Unknown: Preliminary Scheme for a Magnetotrophic Organism.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Serpentinization-Associated Mineral Catalysis of the Protometabolic Formose System
The formose reaction is a plausible prebiotic chemistry, famed for its production of sugars. In this work, we demonstrate that the Cannizzaro process is the dominant process in the formose […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Status Report
A Simple Biochemical Method for the Detection of Proteins as Biomarkers of Life on Martian Soil Simulants and the Impact of UV Radiation
The search for life on other planets relies on the detection of biosignatures of life. Many macromolecules have been suggested as potential targets, among which are proteins that are considered […]
Posted inBiophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Biophysical Interactions Underpin the Emergence of Information in the Genetic Code
The genetic code conceals a ‘code within the codons’, which hints at biophysical interactions between amino acids and their cognate nucleotides. Yet, research over decades has failed to corroborate systematic […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Prebiotic Synthesis of Aspartate Using Life’s Metabolism as a Guide
A protometabolic approach to the origins of life assumes that the conserved biochemistry of metabolism has direct continuity with prebiotic chemistry. One of the most important amino acids in modern […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
How Did Life Emerge in Chemically Complex Messy Environments?
One of the problems that make it difficult to solve the mystery of the origin of life is determining how life emerged in chemically complex messy environments on primitive Earth.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Early Earth Life: Oxidative Phosphorus Chemistry Perturbed By Minerals
Life is a complex, open chemical system that must be supported with energy inputs. If one fathoms how simple early life must have been, the complexity of modern-day life is […]
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Status Report
Astrobiology in Space: A Comprehensive Look at the Solar System
The field of astrobiology aims to understand the origin of life on Earth and searches for evidence of life beyond our planet. Although there is agreement on some of the […]