H2CO is a ubiquitous molecule in the ISM and in the gas phase of prestellar cores, and is likely present in ice mantles, but its main desorption mechanism is unknown. […]
organic chemistry
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Astrochemistry On Galactic Scales
The increasing number of observations towards different environments in the Milky Way, as well as theoretical and experimental works, are improving our knowledge of the astrochemical processes in the interstellar […]
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Biosignature Update: Why Dinosaur Collagen May Have Survived For Over A Hundred Million Years
Collagen, a protein found in bones and connective tissue, has been found in dinosaur fossils as old as 195 million years. That far exceeds the normal half-life of the peptide […]
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Proxima Centauri, Radiation, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report, TRAPPIST-1, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
The Time Evolution Of The Ultraviolet Habitable Zone
For stars hosting Circumstellar Habitable Zone (CHZ) exoplanets, we investigate the time-evolution of their ultraviolet habitable zone (UHZ), the annular region around a star where an exoplanet could experience a […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Status Report, Tardigrades
Structural Adaptability and Surface Activity of Peptides Derived from Tardigrade Proteins
Tardigrades are unique micro-organisms with a high tolerance to desiccation. The protection of their cells against desiccation involves tardigrade-specific proteins, which include the so-called cytoplasmic abundant heat soluble (CAHS) proteins.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microgravity, Status Report
A Structural Perspective on the Temperature-dependent Activity of Enzymes
Enzymes are biomolecular catalysts whose activity varies with temperature. Unlike for small-molecule catalysts, the structural ensembles of enzymes can vary substantially with temperature, and it is in general unclear how […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
The Astrochemical Evolutionary Traits Of Phospholipid Membrane Homochirality
Compartmentalization is crucial for the evolution of life. Present-day phospholipid membranes exhibit a high level of complexity and species-dependent homochirality, the so-called lipid divide. It is possible that less stable, […]
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Astrochemistry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Alternative Pathways in Astrobiology: Reviewing and Synthesizing Contingency and Non-Biomolecular Origins of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Life
The pursuit of understanding the origins of life (OoL) on and off Earth and the search for extraterrestrial life (ET) are central aspects of astrobiology.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Interstellar, Meteorites & Asteroids, Radiation, Status Report
Ice Chemistry Modeling of Active Phase Comets: Hale-Bopp
We present a chemical kinetics model of the solid-phase chemical evolution of a comet, beginning with a long period of cold-storage in the Oort Cloud, followed by five orbits that […]
![BSSE-corrected BE values of all the 75 d-H positions considering the 9 different ASW [H2O]20 clusters. The corresponding values are tabulated in Table A.2. -- astro-ph.GA](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Assessing-realistic-binding-energies.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Interstellar, Status Report
Assessing Realistic Binding Energies of Some Essential Interstellar Radicals with Amorphous Solid Water: A Fully Quantum Chemical Approach
In the absence of laboratory data, state-of-the-art quantum chemical approaches can provide estimates on the binding energy (BE) of interstellar species with grains. Without BE values, contemporary astrochemical models are […]