metagenomic sequencing Archives - Astrobiology

Community composition and functional profiles of 152 samples. a, The relative abundance of archaea and bacteria in 152 samples. b, The proportion of all archaea in all samples. Bars in different colors represented different classes of archaea. c, The proportion of all bacteria in all samples. Bars in different colors represented different phyla of bacteria. d, the relative abundance of KEGG standard categories (level B) in all samples. e-f, Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) of all RMAGs, archaea, bacteria, and KOs in different sites based on Bray–Curtis distances. -- biorxiv.org

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report

The Recovery Of 12,789 Genomes Revealed The Diversity, Function, And Microbial Interactions Of The Geothermal Spring Microbiome

by Keith CowingApril 12, 2026April 13, 2026

Geothermal springs, characterized by extreme physicochemical conditions, represent ecologically and evolutionarily significant habitats that foster unique microbial communities and drive adaptive evolutionary processes.

Geographic map of vent field locations Map data 2025 Google. -- Molecular Ecology

Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Status Report

Contrasting Genomic Responses of Hydrothermal Vent Animals and Their Symbionts to Population Decline After the Hunga Volcanic Eruption

by Keith CowingOctober 7, 2025October 7, 2025

Genetic bottlenecks are evolutionary events that reduce the effective size and diversity of natural populations, often limiting a population’s ability to adapt to environmental change.

(A and B) Circular phylogenetic tree of the microbial community composition exemplarily for the surface layer (0–5 cm depth) in Yungay (0.1% abundance); color codes reflect microbial classes (A). Clades unique to the e- or iDNA are shown in (B). Additionally, red and blue stars indicated predominate eDNA and iDNA clades in (A). NA means no taxonomic class. -- Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report

Living Microbes Discovered In Earth’s Driest Desert

by Keith CowingNovember 18, 2024January 11, 2026

The Atacama Desert, which runs along the Pacific Coast in Chile, is the driest place on the planet and, largely because of that aridity, hostile to most living things. Not […]

TEM morphology of Halomonas phage vB_HmeY_H4907; the scale bar is 100 nm.

Away Teams & Field Reports, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release

A Newly Identified Virus Emerges From The Mariana Trench

by Keith CowingSeptember 21, 2023September 21, 2023

The Mariana Trench, the deepest place on Earth, plunges nearly 11,000 meters at its lowest point on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. Life persists in the deep and cold […]

The abundance of metabolic marker genes

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

World First Study Sheds Light On Why Microbes In The Deep Ocean Live Without Sunlight

by Keith CowingFebruary 6, 2023February 6, 2023

A world first study reverses the idea that the bulk of life in the ocean is fuelled by photosynthesis via sunshine, revealing that many ocean microbes in fact get their […]