The two basic approaches to elucidating how life began both date from Darwin. The first, that of the experimentalists, stems from Darwin’s famous “warm little pond” letter to Joseph Hooker […]
origin of life
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
The Nature Of LUCA – The Last Universal Common Ancestor – and its Impact on the Early Earth System
The nature of the last universal common ancestor (LUCA), its age and its impact on the Earth system have been the subject of vigorous debate across diverse disciplines, often based […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Chemical Kinetics As A Window Into Prebiotic Plausibility
Origin of Life research is a fast growing field of study with each year bringing new breakthroughs. Recent discoveries include novel syntheses of life’s building blocks, mechanisms of activation and […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Protein Shapes Can Help Untangle Life’s Ancient History
The three-dimensional shape of a protein can be used to resolve deep, ancient evolutionary relationships in the tree of life, according to a study in Nature Communications.
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Extremophiles and Extremophilic Behaviour – New Insights and Perspectives
Extremophiles, throughout evolutionary time, have evolved a plethora of unique strategies to overcome hardships associated with the environments they are found in.
![A generalized model of dormancy. Dormancy is a set of processes acting on agents that exist in different states of activity. Active agents transition into inactive agents through the process of dormancy initiation, while inactive agents transition into active states through the process of resuscitation. Transitions can occur stochastically or in a responsive manner. Mortality rates are assumed to be higher for active agents than for inactive agents, which can facilitate migration and colonization. This form of protection can lead to the accumulation of inactive individuals and the creation of a ’seed bank', which serves as a reservoir of information contained in agents (colours) that can generate complex behaviours through the preservation of diversity and memory. Modified figure from [10]. -- Proc Biol Sci. via PubMed](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dormancy-in-the-Origin.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Icy Worlds, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Dormancy in the Origin, Evolution and Persistence of Life on Earth
Life has existed on Earth for most of the planet’s history, yet major gaps and unresolved questions remain about how it first arose and persisted. Early Earth posed numerous challenges […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, NASA Astrobiology Program, Origin & Evolution of Life, People Of Astrobiology, Space Life Science, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
NASA SMD ROSES-24 Update: Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research ICAR Step-2 Proposal Due Date Extended
C.20 Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research (ICAR) seeks proposals focused on ensuring that the NASA Astrobiology community is prepared to respond to the challenge of planning and implementing these missions.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Interstellar, Status Report
Chemistry In The Galactic Center
Gas and dust in the Galactic Center are subjected to energetic processing by intense UV radiation fields, widespread shocks, enhanced rates of cosmic-rays and X-rays, and strong magnetic fields.
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Did Organs Precede Organisms In The Origin Of Life?
Evolutionary processes acting on populations of organized molecules preceded the origin of living organisms.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Fundamental Constraints To The Logic Of Living Systems
It has been argued that the historical nature of evolution makes it a highly path-dependent process. Under this view, the outcome of evolutionary dynamics could have resulted in organisms with […]