origin of life Archives

(A) Compositions of the R3C ligase ribozyme (73-mer, top) and that of the reduced form, R3C-A (46-mer, bottom). They are shown in black. The 5′-6-FAM-labeled ligation substrate (12-mer) is shown in green. The stem loop regions of the original R3C ligase ribozyme are designated as “Hammer” and “Grip”. (B) Schematic presentation of the evolution process of ribozymes. During the RNA elongation process, a short RNA would have fused with other RNA domains that interacted with specific compounds (effectors), resulting in an RNA whose activity regulation was dependent on the specific effector. Each circle represents a nucleotide comprising RNA.

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Development of Allosteric Ribozymes for ATP and l-Histidine Based on the R3C Ligase Ribozyme

by Keith CowingApril 30, 2024April 30, 2024

During the evolution of the RNA, short RNAs are thought to have joined together to form long RNAs, enhancing their function as ribozymes.

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Microfluidics-Based Drying–Wetting Cycles to Investigate Phase Transitions of Small Molecules Solutions

by Keith CowingApril 30, 2024April 30, 2024

Drying–wetting cycles play a crucial role in the investigation of the origin of life as processes that both concentrate and induce the supramolecular assembly and polymerization of biomolecular building blocks, […]

Interns working in JPL’s Origins and Habitability Lab grow fingerlike mineral structures like the one shown here to simulate oceans on early Earth — and possibly other planets. By studying how these structures form in the lab, scientists hope to learn more about potential life-creating chemical reactions. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Career Opportunities, Courses, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Students At Underserved Institutions Intern In JPL’s Origins And Habitability Lab

by Keith CowingApril 27, 2024

At the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, interns from Cal State LA are learning key skills studying the origins of life.

Simulated oxygen (left; a,d,g), sulfate (middle; b,e,h), and methane (right; c,f,i) concentrations in a Proterozoic-like ocean with 10-3 PAL O2. Maps show each species in surface seawater (top; a-c) and benthic seawater (middle; d-f). Also shown are zonal average vertical profiles (bottom; g-i). Oxygen is limited to oxygen oases in surface seawater, leading to extensive SO4 2- reduction and local SO4 2- scarcity at depth, especially underlying productive regions of the surface ocean and in the oldest bottom waters. Where SO4 2- concentrations are low, methanogenesis leads to CH4 accumulation, but CH4 must evade oxidation by both SO4 2- in the ocean interior and O2 in surface waters before it may enter the atmosphere. This figure is reproduced from Reinhard et al. (2020) under Creative Commons Attribution License CCBY. Nitrous oxide (N2O -- astro-ph.EP

Analog Studies, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering

The Early Earth As An Analogue For Exoplanetary Biogeochemistry

by Keith CowingApril 25, 2024April 25, 2024

Planet Earth has evolved from an entirely anoxic planet with possibly a different tectonic regime to the oxygenated world with horizontal plate tectonics that we know today.

The synthetic droplets contain the enzyme urease which catalyzes the breakdown of urea into ammonia, which has a high pH-value. Droplets migrate due to the pH gradient, from low to high, because of the Marangoni effect. CREDIT OIST

Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Synthetic Droplets Cause A Stir In The Primordial Soup

by Keith CowingApril 25, 2024April 25, 2024

Our bodies are made up of trillions of different cells, each fulfilling their own unique function to keep us alive.

Aqueous chemistry inside meteorite parent bodies allows the formation of prebiotic molecules crucial for all life in the early solar system. We present a reaction mechanism suitable for vitamin B3 synthesis in this environment, which is experimentally verified in the literature. Vitamin B3 was transported to the Hadean Earth by meteorite falls and initiated redox chemistry in the form of NAD(P)H, potentially participating in the origins of life. -- ChemPlusChem

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Interstellar, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Prebiotic Vitamin B3 Synthesis in Carbonaceous Planetesimals

by Keith CowingApril 23, 2024April 23, 2024

Aqueous chemistry within carbonaceous planetesimals is promising for synthesizing prebiotic organic matter essential to all life. Meteorites derived from these planetesimals delivered these life building blocks to the early Earth, […]

Researchers from Tokyo University of Science have engineered a ribozyme structure which mimics the early RNA world and provides novel insights on the role of RNA in primitive life, to its various real-world applications -- Tokyo University of Science

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

New Study Unveils RNA’s Role In Early Life And Future Bioengineering

by Keith CowingApril 18, 2024April 18, 2024

The beginning of life on Earth and its evolution over billions of years continue to intrigue researchers worldwide. The central dogma or the directional flow of genetic information from a […]

a, Oxygen cycle, where the two boxes separate the deep ocean (bottom) from the well-mixed upper surface ocean and atmosphere (top). Resp., respiration. b, Organic carbon (Corg) cycle. Prod., primary productivity; Remin., remineralization. Fluxes to A denote exchange to the inorganic carbon reservoir, where A is the inorganic carbon reservoir. The primary production of organic carbon is taken from a singular reservoir of inorganic carbon. c, Inorganic carbon cycle, defined by a single box containing the atmosphere and oceans. Oxidw, oxidative weathering; carbw, carbonate weathering; locb, land organic carbon burial; mocb, marine organic carbon burial; mccb, marine carbonate carbon burial; sfw, seafloor weathering; ocdeg, organic carbon degassing; ccdeg, carbonate carbon degassing; rgf, reduced gas flux. d, Phosphorus cycle, where P exists as soluble reactive phosphorus (Preac) and organic bound phosphorus (Porg). Burial sinks of reactive phosphorus include iron bound P (PFe) and authigenic P phases (Pauth). The boxes with background blue background show hydrospheric reservoirs. The grey arrows denote mixing between them, and the black arrows denote biogeochemical fluxes. -- Nature

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Press Release

Earth’s Global Carbon Cycle Could Help Assess Liveability Of Other Planets

by Keith CowingApril 10, 2024

Research has uncovered important new insights into the evolution of oxygen, carbon, and other vital elements over the entire history of Earth – and it could help assess which other […]

The Miller-Urey experiment that was used to demonstrate the synthesis of biologically relevant molecules in a hypothetical primitive reducing atmosphere. — UCSD

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

The Spark Of Life: Discharge Physics As A Key Aspect Of The Miller–Urey Experiment

by Keith CowingApril 10, 2024April 10, 2024

The Miller–Urey experiment demonstrated the possibility of producing biomolecules from the chemical components of the primordial atmosphere, using an electric discharge.

Schematic visualization of heat flows in rock cracks. | © Christof Mast

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Heat Flows Are The Secret To Order In Prebiotic Molecular Kitchen

by Keith CowingApril 5, 2024April 5, 2024

Life is complicated. What is true for our everyday existence also holds for the many complex processes that take place inside cells. Proteins constantly have to be synthesized, cell walls […]

origin of life

Development of Allosteric Ribozymes for ATP and l-Histidine Based on the R3C Ligase Ribozyme

Microfluidics-Based Drying–Wetting Cycles to Investigate Phase Transitions of Small Molecules Solutions

Students At Underserved Institutions Intern In JPL’s Origins And Habitability Lab

The Early Earth As An Analogue For Exoplanetary Biogeochemistry

Synthetic Droplets Cause A Stir In The Primordial Soup

Prebiotic Vitamin B3 Synthesis in Carbonaceous Planetesimals

New Study Unveils RNA’s Role In Early Life And Future Bioengineering

Earth’s Global Carbon Cycle Could Help Assess Liveability Of Other Planets

The Spark Of Life: Discharge Physics As A Key Aspect Of The Miller–Urey Experiment

Heat Flows Are The Secret To Order In Prebiotic Molecular Kitchen

Complex Water Systems Revealed On Early Mars

An Accidental Impact Crater Discovery

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Community Participation Program

Unveiling Microbial Communities And Biogeochemical Cycles In Antarctic Colored Snow

NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,217 21 September 2026 (Space Life Science Research Results)