A major incident occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station following the tsunami triggered by the Tohoku–Pacific Ocean Earthquake in March 2011, whereby seawater entered the torus room in […]
microbiology
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Microbiomes Interconnect On A Planetary-scale, New Study Finds
In a new study published in Cell, scientists in the Bork Group at EMBL Heidelberg reveal that microbes living in similar habitats are more alike than those simply inhabiting the […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Sample Return
Wrinkly Rocks May Actually Be A Fossilized Microbial Community
In 2016 while hiking on a hillside in Morocco, geologist Rowan Martindale saw something that made her stop in her tracks: a slab of sedimentary rock covered in a wrinkly […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release
CRREL Researchers Discover New Microbe Species Frozen In Alaskan Permafrost
Research microbiologists at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) recently discovered 26 new species of microorganisms.
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Deep-sea Microbes Get An Unexpected Energy Boost
For many years, the deep ocean has been seen as a nutrient-poor environment where microbes living in the water survive on very limited resources. But new research from the University […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Archaeal G-Quadruplexes: A Novel Model for Understanding Unusual DNA/RNA Structures Across the Tree of Life
Archaea, a domain of microorganisms found in diverse environments including the human microbiome, represent the closest known prokaryotic relatives of eukaryotes.
Posted inExploration Gear & Tech, Microbiology & Virology, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report
Susceptibility Of Microbes To far-UVC Light (222 nm) On Spacecraft And Cleanroom Surfaces
Far-UVC light (222 nm) is an emerging decontamination tool with potential for spacecraft assembly applications due to its strong germicidal efficacy and minimal risk to human health.
Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Sample Return
XTREMOLIFE Project
Advancing Sampling And Screening Of Extremophile Microorganisms For biodiscovery Of Bioactive Compounds from Volcanic, Desert, and Polar Ecosystems Thriving in extreme environments, such as high pressure, temperature, or acidity, extremophiles […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Did Iron Suppress Eukaryote Emergence and Early Radiation?
The last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) is widely thought to have been an oxygen-respiring organism, arising through endosymbiosis when a free-living bacterium became the mitochondrion.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
One Of Earth’s Most Abundant Organisms Is Surprisingly Fragile
A group of ocean bacteria long considered perfectly adapted to life in nutrient-poor waters may be more vulnerable to environmental change than scientists realized.