Mass Spectrometry
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Sample Return, Status Report

Analytical Characterization Approaches to Measure Prebiotically Relevant Compounds in High Salinity Impact-Induced Hydrothermal Systems

by Keith Cowing

Experiments exploring potential emergence-of-life chemistry in a laboratory setting critically depend on simulating realistic early-Earth environments. Such experimental conditions include the implementation of controlled high temperatures and pressures, anoxic gas […]

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

by Keith Cowing

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 inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Cryobiology, Dione, Enceladus, Europa, Ganymede, Habitable Zones, Hyperion, Iapetus, Icy Worlds, Mimas, Oberon, Status Report, Titan

Quantum Chemical Insights into the Dissociation of Phenol: Shedding Light on Impact Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Icy Moon Exploration

by Keith Cowing

CDA revealed that Enceladus hosts a rich organic and inorganic chemical inventory in its subsurface ocean, hinting at its potential habitability. Analysis of fragmentation patterns with laser desorption experiments for […]

Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return

Discovery Of Unexpectedly Large Organic Molecules from Asteroid Ryugu

by Keith Cowing

Overview Using a high-resolution atomic force microscope ( AFM ), we directly observed the skeletal structures of individual organic molecules extracted from the Ryugu sample. We discovered numerous gigantic organic […]

Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Life Support Systems, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report

Quantifying Building Blocks of Life in Planetary Analog Materials: Implications for Prebiotic Chemistry and Biosignature Identification

by Keith Cowing

Building blocks of life such as amino acids, nucleobases, and fatty acids are central to prebiotic chemistry and represent key targets in the search for planetary biosignatures. In planetary materials, […]

Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors

Tricorder Tech: Most Mass Spectrometers Can Process Just A Few Molecules At Once. A Reengineered Prototype Does A Billion Simultaneously.

by Keith Cowing

Editor’s note: with recent speculation about the potential habitability of other worlds and understanding the processes whereby other biospheres arise and evolve, thought needs to be given to developing sensor […]

Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

Tricorder Tech: Opportunities and Limitations of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Astrobiology

by Keith Cowing

For decades, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has been utilized as a powerful tool in various scientific disciplines, most prominently in chemistry, to determine molecular structures or monitor reactions.

Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Impact events, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Press Release

Earth’s Ancient Atmosphere May Have Rained Down The Key Ingredients For Life

by Keith Cowing

New research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that Earth’s ancient atmosphere may have acted as a global chemical factory, naturally producing sulfur-containing molecules that would […]

Gift this article