Photosynthesis
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Radiation, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering, TRAPPIST-1

Dearth of Photosynthetically Active Radiation Suggests No Complex Life on Late M-Star Exoplanets

by Keith Cowing

The rise of oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere during the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) occurred about 2.3 billion years ago. There is considerably greater uncertainty for the origin of oxygenic […]

Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return

Study Showcases Resilience and Rapid Growth of “Living Rocks”

by Keith Cowing

South Africa is home to some of the oldest evidence of life on Earth, contained in rocky, often layered outcroppings called microbialites. Like coral reefs, these complex “living rocks” are […]

Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return

The Hidden Viral Network: How Viruses Shape Microbial Adaptability and Biogeochemical Cycling in the Polyextreme Mars-Analog Qaidam Basin Desert

by Keith Cowing

Viruses play essential roles in shaping the structure and function of microbial communities, including those inhabiting extreme environments.

Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Current Opinions And Trends In The Search For Extrasolar Photosynthesis

by Keith Cowing

The search for extrasolar photosynthetic life is one of the most important goals for modern astrobiology. Recent discoveries of cold brown dwarfs, as well as planets orbiting M-, G-, K-, […]

Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

Organic Geochemical Evidence For Life In Archean Rocks Identified By Pyrolysis–GC–MS and Supervised Machine Learning

by Keith Cowing

Significance Teasing out biochemical information from ancient organic-rich sediments, notably the timing of the emergence of photosynthesis relative to the inferred oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere, remains a challenging opportunity. To […]

Posted inAnalog Studies, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Press Release

How A Pyrite-oxidizing Microbe Helps Preserve Atmospheric Oxygen In Sulfate

by Keith Cowing

Because oxygen-bearing sulfate minerals trap and preserve signals from Earth’s atmosphere, scientists closely study how they form. Sulfates are stable over billions of years, so their oxygen isotopes are seen […]

Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Hot Springs In Japan Give Insight Into Ancient Microbial Life On Earth

by Keith Cowing

Earth was not always the blue-green world we know today: the early Earth’s oxygen levels were about a million times lower than we now experience. There were no forests and […]

Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Studying Thermophiles In Yellowstone National Park

by Keith Cowing

Ask any Yellowstone park ranger about hazards in the park, and you will soon learn that hydrothermal features (not bears) have caused more harm than any other natural threat. Park […]

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