Metabolism Archives

A simplified illustration of the model. It depicts a cross-section of a spherical phospholipid vesicle, highlighting its membrane with hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails. Racemic d- and l-ribose (green) can both penetrate the membrane and capture the PO groups, but d-ribose undergoes this process more quickly and is preferentially trapped (purple) inside the vesicle. --Life

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Status Report

Stereoselective Phosphorylation of d-Ribose as a Driver of Life’s Homochirality

by Keith CowingJune 1, 2026June 1, 2026

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 […]

Adsorption of crystals of a biological chiral molecule onto a gold-coated cobalt surface. Larger crystals of one specific form of the molecule (left) tend to accumulate on this surface to a greater degree than those of its mirror-image form (right). In the left image, the crystals reach heights of about 1.2 nm, whereas in the right image they do not exceed 0.8 nm. The physical advantage of one form over the other in accumulating on the magnetic surface suggests that, in a competitive setting, it would become the dominant (“winning”) form. -- Weizmann Institute of Science

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release

A Glimpse At The Origins Of Life Through A Deceptive Mirror

by Keith CowingMay 29, 2026May 29, 2026

Imagine looking at yourself in the mirror, only to find that your reflection is governed by different laws than you are: Identical movements produce different outcomes, and what seems like […]

Inferred subcellular organization in LECA, the last eukaryotic common ancestor, based on its estimated gene content. Credit Cell illustration adapted from multiple graphics shared as open source by SwissBioPics.

Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Scientists Reveal Disease Genes From Reconstruction Of Ancestor To All Complex Life

by Keith CowingMay 28, 2026May 28, 2026

A University of Texas at Austin-led team has reconstructed the most detailed map to date of the molecular machines that carried out the functions of life in an ancient ancestor […]

Conceptual framework of vertically stratified carbon cycling and microbial succession driven by physiological trade-offs in shelf sediments. Organic carbon (OC) reactivity and microbial community structure undergo profound transitions with sediment depth. In surface sediments, Bacteria (blue) drive a transient mineralization hotspot by rapidly consuming labile OC, whereas Archaea (pink) dictate the long-term fate and reactivity of the buried recalcitrant OC pool over geological timescales. These transition of OC degradation and microbial succession are underpinned by fundamental physiological trade-offs: whereas Bacteria prioritize rapid growth (G) with high energy investment near the surface, Archaea, primarily Bathyarchaeia, allocate more energy toward maintenance (M) and adaptation (A) by minimizing their growth rates in the deep subsurface. -- biorxiv.org

Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

Physiological Trade-offs Drive The archaeal Dominance And Carbon Turnover In Deep Subsurface

by Keith CowingMay 25, 2026May 25, 2026

Marine sediments host a vast deep biosphere, yet how microorganisms persist under severe energy limitation and govern long-term organic carbon (OC) preservation remains poorly understood.

16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data of fluids collected from each borehole (A) prior and (B) post 2H incubation. Horizontal bars show relative abundance of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing variants. Sample names capture the borehole, depth in meters, and whether the DNA was obtained from environmental fluids or a specific SIP experimental condition. -- Nature via PubMed

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

Microbial Growth Rates Captured Using Raman-SIP reveal A Highly Active Subsurface Biosphere Fueled By Serpentinization

by Keith CowingMay 24, 2026May 24, 2026

Microbial productivity, metabolite fluxes, nutrient cycling and biosignatures are directly linked to microbial growth rates, which remain largely unknown in subsurface environments.

Main categories of extremophiles. This illustration depicts the 10 most common extremophile types, highlighting their defining physicochemical stressors and representative natural environments. -- Briefings in Bioinformatics

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Cryobiology, Desert Worlds, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Status Report

Decoding Extremophiles: Insights From Bioinformatics, Machine Learning, And Data-driven Approaches

by Keith CowingMay 22, 2026May 23, 2026

Life thrives in Earth’s most inhospitable environments, from boiling hydrothermal vents to hypersaline lakes and frozen polar deserts, thanks to the remarkable adaptations of extremophilic microorganisms.

Conceptual demonstration of fuel decoupling and dedication. (a) Representative non-equilibrium biological and prebiotic motifs driven by external energy input (red arrows).

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Evolutionary Origin Of The Bipartite Architecture Of Dissipative Cellular Networks

by Keith CowingMay 15, 2026May 15, 2026

Recently, plenty research has been done on discovering the role of energy dissipation in biological networks, most of which focus on the relationship of dissipation and functionality.

Overall information on the first and second nitrogen replacements in a benzene ring.

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Novel Chemical Pathways For The Formation Of Nucleobase Precursors Via Benzene π-Bond Addition To HCN

by Keith CowingMay 13, 2026May 13, 2026

We propose a simple and efficient pathway for the formation of precursors to core nucleobases in DNA and RNA using a suite of computational chemistry methods.

Energetics associated with the occupancy of the K1 site and the position of the M2 ion. (A) Free energy surface of the concerted motions of Prp11 Lys10 and M2, with the initial PDB conformation marked by a yellow star. (B–D) Representative structures of three metastable states from metadynamics simulations. State 1 (B) represents a PDB-like arrangement where Lys10 (slate blue sticks) remains at the K1 site, and M2 (yellow sphere) is properly positioned at the U6 snRNA triple-helix (yellow cartoon). State 2 (C): Lys10 leaves the K1 site, allowing a K+ ion to occupy it and stabilize M2 in place. State 3 (D): M2 directly coordinates G52, losing its catalytic position and partially occupying the K1 site. -- PNAS

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report

Computational Chemistry And Supercomputers To Help Understand The Mechanisms Of Life

by Keith CowingApril 13, 2026April 13, 2026

A new study from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), in collaboration with Uppsala University (Sweden) and AstraZeneca, shows how computational chemistry and supercomputers can help scientists better understand the […]

Graphical Abstract -- Journal of the American Chemical Society

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Status Report

Entropy-Driven Amino Acid-Based Coacervates with Enzyme-Free Metabolism and Prebiotic Robustness

by Keith CowingJanuary 3, 2026January 2, 2026

Protocells capable of nonenzymatic metabolism and environmental adaptation are essential models for understanding the emergence of cellular life.

Metabolism

Stereoselective Phosphorylation of d-Ribose as a Driver of Life’s Homochirality

A Glimpse At The Origins Of Life Through A Deceptive Mirror

Scientists Reveal Disease Genes From Reconstruction Of Ancestor To All Complex Life

Physiological Trade-offs Drive The archaeal Dominance And Carbon Turnover In Deep Subsurface

Microbial Growth Rates Captured Using Raman-SIP reveal A Highly Active Subsurface Biosphere Fueled By Serpentinization

Decoding Extremophiles: Insights From Bioinformatics, Machine Learning, And Data-driven Approaches

Evolutionary Origin Of The Bipartite Architecture Of Dissipative Cellular Networks

Novel Chemical Pathways For The Formation Of Nucleobase Precursors Via Benzene π-Bond Addition To HCN

Computational Chemistry And Supercomputers To Help Understand The Mechanisms Of Life

Entropy-Driven Amino Acid-Based Coacervates with Enzyme-Free Metabolism and Prebiotic Robustness

Material Cycling Across Earth’s Spheres And Triggers Of Cambrian Explosion: A Tectonic Perspective

Where Does Earth’s Nitrogen Go? Two Atoms Offer A Clue

Exotic Methanol Discovered In Planet-Building Zones

More Than One Thousand TESS Planets

First Detection Of Variable Water Clouds Outside Of Our Solar System