[University of Washington] It’s a dizzyingly busy time for scientists searching for life on distant planets. To date, astronomers have cataloged more than 6,000 planets beyond our solar system and […]
origin of life
Oort Lecture: Our Astrochemical Origins
How did the building blocks of life come into existence, and what do they tell us about the origins of our Solar System? Join us on Tuesday 8 December for […]
2026 LIFE NASA RCN Seminar Series: Microbial Mats – and – Eukaryotes’ Closest Relatives
Time: November 10th, 4 PM PDT/7 PM EDT JOIN – https://cuboulder.zoom.us/j/96506145424#success Title: Rocking the cradle of life: microbial mats and the rise of complex life Dr. Brendan Burns is a […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology
Material Cycling Across Earth’s Spheres And Triggers Of Cambrian Explosion: A Tectonic Perspective
[Continent and Life Evolution]. Earth is the only known planet in the solar system that can sustain and provide a habitable environment for life, largely due to the presence of […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry
Prebiotic Synthesis of L-Homochiral Peptides on Primordial Earth
Astrobiology (Journal) The origin of biological homochirality remains a central enigma in astrobiology. The emergence of a homochiral world necessitates two key processes: initial symmetry breaking and subsequent chiral selection […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
Estimates For The Prebiotic Reaction Volume Necessary For The Origin Of Life
[Life] The prebiotic chemistry necessary for the development of life requires a low-probability combination of steps to reach the complexity of a living cell.
![(a) A protocell driven by an autocatalytic cycle of small molecules that forms a metabolism. The bifurcating arrow indicates that two copies of C2 are formed by splitting a C4 molecule. The cycle as a whole is autocatalytic—the concentrations of C2, C3 and C4 all increase if there is a continued supply of C1. (b) A protocell in which templating of RNA oligomers occurs. The figure shows formation and melting of double strands and primer extension by addition of an activated nucleotide. The RNA process and the small-molecule cycle are conceptually similar. The cycle of nucleotide activation, templating and breakdown of oligomers is itself a metabolim [119].-- [Life]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/How-Strong.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
How Strong Is the Case For The RNA World?
[Life] The RNA World theory was proposed as a way to explain the origin of the DNA-RNA-Protein relationship found all current cells.
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics
UV Photodamage Pathways And The Evolutionary Selection Of Thymine Over Uracil In Early Genetic Systems
[PNAS] The evolutionary selection of thymine over uracil in DNA presents a paradox from a photostability perspective, since thymine is found to be more susceptible to photodamage from the intense […]
Posted inBiophysics
Reversion To The Meta Body Form Of Life After Complete Cell Death In Pure Liquid Water
[biorxiv.org] The prevailing view holds that simpler animate beings predating the dawn of cellular life once existed, yet they have long since vanished from the present-day Earth. Our hypothesis posits […]
International Winter School on Origins of Life WISOL 27
Introduction How Life began on Earth? This intriguing question is of capital importance for modern science. From the most recent exploratory missions to ancient philosophy, this fascinating question is puzzling […]