Subsurface microbiology is at a crossroads, evolving from asking ‘who’s home’ to seeking clarity on microbes’ functionality and the key processes that constrain subsurface life.
Lunar and Martian lava tubes will offer stable temperatures and radiation protection, making them potential habitats for extraterrestrial life. The Martian atmosphere, containing gases like H2, CO, and CH4, could […]
![Selected examples of different chemically oscillating reactions (COR) with patterns produced during the decarboxylation of malonic acid [1 M] using a solution of sodium bromate [1 M], sulfuric acid [0.33 M], sodium bromide [1 M], and phenanthroline ferrous sulfate [0.025 M]. (A) Spot proliferation pattern in a 10 cm diameter petri dish. (B) A few spots of different sizes formed within half a minute. (C) Pairs of images of a COR in a petri dish with insets taken five seconds apart showing the radial diffusion of circularly concentric spots. (D) Spots spanning from sub-millimeter (white arrows) to centimeter sizes. (E) Twinned circularly concentric spots (white dashed line shows the twin plane). A few bubbles of CO2 produced by the reaction can be seen. (F) Circularly concentric spot with short color gradients in laminations. (G) Circularly concentric spot with long color gradients in laminations. (H) Circularly concentric spot with dozens of laminations and CO2 bubbles, formed later (at ∼26 min) during another reaction. -- GeoScience World](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Authigenic-biosignatures-of-microbial.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Ooids are small spheroidal carbonate grains that have circularly concentric and radially aligned crystals. Oolitic carbonates are commonly associated with fossils or organic matter, which has led to hypothetical formation […]
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), in collaboration with the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), has launched the world’s first Deep Ocean Omics (DOO) […]
Extensive fungal growth has been detected on the walls and other building constructions in the inner parts of the Shelter of the damaged fourth Unit of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power […]
Electron transfer coupled to redox chemistry is at the heart of metabolism. The proteins responsible for moving electrons (protein electron carriers) must have emerged at the origin of life.
The first forms of life on Earth were microbial, preceding the evolution of multicellular life by more than two billion years.
Introduction Microgravity is a critical environmental factor in space that can alter microbial physiology and virus–host interactions. Understanding these effects is essential for planetary protection and crew health during long-term […]
Life on Mars will require organisms to endure sustained exposure to reduced gravity and near-absent planetary magnetism, yet little is known about how these environmental factors may combine to potentially […]
It is generally accepted that there is a vast, well-populated biosphere in the subsurface, but the depth limit of the terrestrial biosphere has yet to be determined, largely because of […]
