Mosses thrive in the most extreme environments on Earth, from the peaks of the Himalayas to the sands of Death Valley, the Antarctic tundra to the lava fields of active […]
panspermia
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Panspermia, Status Report
Pseudo-panspermia of Phosphorus Species on the Early Earth
In the Earth system, Phosphorus (P) does not form a single phase, but mostly combines into compounds forming multiple minerals. Phosphate (P+5) is the majority P species in the Earth’s […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Radiation, Sample Return, Status Report
Endospore Integrity And Viability Of Bacillus subtilis On Simulated Martian Regolith In Rotational UVC Radiation Exposures
Current understanding of Martian regolith has advanced due to various rover explorations. Due to this, there are now several variants of Martian regolith that are chemically known and commercially available.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Panspermia, Press Release
Astrochemistry: Space Ice Is Less Like Water Than We Thought
“Space ice” contains tiny crystals and is not, as previously assumed, a completely disordered material like liquid water, according to a new study by scientists at UCL (University College London) […]
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Interstellar, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Radiation, Status Report
Virolithopanspermia: Might Viruses Be Transported In Rocks Through Space?
Material can apparently move between planets, at least on rare occasions. For example, meteorites have been found on Earth that appear to have originated on Mars, or even outside our […]
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Panspermia, Space Life Science, Space Stations, Status Report
Exposure of Phage T7 To Simulated Space Environment: The Effect Of Vacuum and UV-C Radiation
The experiment “Phage and Uracil Response” (PUR) will be accommodated in the EXPOSE facility of the International Space Station (ISS). Its objective is to examine and quantify the effect of […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Panspermia, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering
An Agnostic Biosignature Based on Modeling Panspermia and Terraformation
A fundamental goal of astrobiology is to detect life outside of Earth. This proves to be an exceptional challenge outside of our solar system, where strong assumptions must be made […]
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report
Antarctic Biosecurity Policy Effectively Manages The Rates Of Alien Introductions
Reducing the rates and impacts of biological invasions is a major policy goal of international biodiversity agreements.
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Moon, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report
A Microbial Survival Model For The permanently Shadowed Regions Of The Moon Shows Long-Term Survival of Terrestrial Microbe Forward Contamination
Based on previous models of microbial survival there are regions in the solar system which have high preservation potential for terrestrial spore-forming microbes such as Bacillus subtilis.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report
Orbit, Meteoroid Size, And Cosmic Ray Exposure History Of The Aguas Zarcas CM2 Breccia
The Aguas Zarcas (Costa Rica) CM2 carbonaceous chondrite fell during night time in April 2019. Security and dashboard camera video of the meteor were analyzed to provide a trajectory, lightcurve, […]