The modern Martian surface is cold, dry, oxidizing, and perpetually bombarded with radiation, rendering it generally inhospitable to life as we know it.
nucleobases
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
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 inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Press Release
All DNA/RNA Nucleobases Are Found On Asteroid Ryugu
Samples from the asteroid Ryugu collected and returned to Earth by the Japanese Hayabusa 2 mission contain all five nitrogenous bases—adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil—that make up nucleic acids, […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Status Report
Abiotic Formation Of Nitrile Precursors To Amino Acids And Nucleobases In Interstellar Ice Analogues
Amino acids and the five canonical nucleobases have been identified in carbonaceous meteorites such as Murchison and Murray; however, their formation mechanisms under interstellar conditions have remained largely elusive.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
The Emergence Of Prebiotic Chemistry In The Interstellar Medium (ISM)
Contrary to popular belief, the interstellar medium (ISM) is not empty; it is filled with atoms, dust particles, and molecules.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Origins Of The Building Blocks Of Life: A Review
How and where did life on Earth originate? To date, various environments have been proposed as plausible sites for the origin of life. However, discussions have focused on a limited […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Theoretical Investigation of Interstellar 3-Pyrroline: Formation, Rotational and Vibrational Spectroscopy
The recent detection of CN-functionalized aromatics partly addresses the long-standing mystery of the apparent absence of five- and six-membered rings in interstellar environments. N-heterocycles, which are crucial as the fundamental […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Synthetic DNA Sheds Light On Mysterious Difference Between Living Cells At Different Points In Evolution
“Random DNA” is naturally active in the one-celled fungi yeast, while such DNA is turned off as its natural state in mammalian cells, despite their having a common ancestor a […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors
Ultrasound Assisted Extraction Of Amino Acids And Nucleobases From Clay Minerals And Astrobiological Samples
The study of organic molecules in meteorite and return samples allows for the understanding of the chemistry that undergoes in our Solar System. The present work aims at studying ultrasound […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Interstellar Ices: A Factory of the Origin-of-Life Molecules
In the past few years, molecular discovery in space has made tremendous progress in terms of both the number of identified molecules and their complexity.