![Bold black letters illustrate amino acids that are deduced as early by the approach, while red letters indicate late additions to the alphabet according to the approach (C* implies possible prebiotic synthesis under specific and narrow conditions [4]). Regular black letters represent amino acids that have not been resolved as either early or late by the approach. LUCA: last universal common ancestor; LECA: last eukaryotic common ancestor; rTCA: tricarboxylic acid cycle. -- Trends in Genetics](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Reconstructing.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
[Trends in Genetics] The canonical amino acid alphabet has remained remarkably stable since life’s early stages, yet the factors that shaped its emergence remain debated. Early views emphasized prebiotic availability […]
phylogenetics
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Archaeal G-Quadruplexes: A Novel Model for Understanding Unusual DNA/RNA Structures Across the Tree of Life
Archaea, a domain of microorganisms found in diverse environments including the human microbiome, represent the closest known prokaryotic relatives of eukaryotes.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
What The Earliest Evidence For Life Tells Us About The Early Evolution Of The Biosphere
Life emerged on Earth in an ultramafic world under anaerobic conditions and conditioned by particular environmental characteristics for which no record remains.
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Taxonomic Description Of Uncultured Cyanobacteria From Extreme Habitats Through Genome-Based Classification
Cyanobacteria form a morphologically and phylogenetically diverse group of oxygenic phototrophic bacteria inhabiting a wide range of environments, including extreme habitats such as hot springs and volcanic steam vents.
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Jumping Genes Help Resolve The Tree Of Life
Genomes are key to unlocking life’s evolutionary history. The presence and absence of certain genetic sequences and mutations can give us clues to the order in which species diverge.
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Conferences and Meetings, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Status Report, Video, Audio, Webcasts, Podcasts
LIFE NASA RCN Seminar Series: Dating LUCA Using Ancient Protein Family Phylogenies
Dr. Greg Fournier is an Associate Professor of Geobiology at MIT. He studies the deep evolutionary history of life, applying molecular clocks and phylogenetics to uncover how Earth’s earliest organisms […]
Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
230 New Giant Viruses Discovered That Shape Earth’s Oceans
Giant viruses play a role in the survival of single-celled marine organisms called protists. These include algae, amoeba, and flagellates, that form the base of ocean food webs. And since […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Structural Evolution Of Nitrogenase Enzymes Over Geologic Time
Life on Earth is more than 3.5 billion years old, nearly as old as the age of the planet. Over this vast expanse of time, life and its biomolecules adapted […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
A Novel Quinone Biosynthetic Pathway Illuminates The Evolution Of Aerobic Metabolism
The dominant organisms in modern oxic ecosystems rely on respiratory quinones with high redox potential (HPQs) for electron transport in aerobic respiration and photosynthesis. The diversification of quinones, from low […]
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 […]