The amide-related molecules are essential for the formation of the other complex bio-molecules and an understanding of the prebiotic chemistry in the interstellar medium (ISM).
prebiotic chemistry
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Serpentinization-Associated Mineral Catalysis of the Protometabolic Formose System
The formose reaction is a plausible prebiotic chemistry, famed for its production of sugars. In this work, we demonstrate that the Cannizzaro process is the dominant process in the formose […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Prebiosignature Molecules Can Be Detected In Temperate Exoplanet Atmospheres With JWST
The search for biosignatures on exoplanets connects the fields of biology and biochemistry to astronomical observation, with the hope that we might detect evidence of active biological processes on worlds […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Distinguishing Biotic vs. Abiotic Origins of ‘Bio’signatures: Clues from Messy Prebiotic Chemistry for Detection of Life in the Universe
It is not a stretch to say that the search for extraterrestrial life is possibly the biggest of the cosmic endeavors that humankind has embarked upon.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Titan, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer (DraMS) Will Study Complex Chemistry On Titan
A new NASA mission to Saturn’s giant moon, Titan, is due to launch in 2027. When it arrives in the mid-2030s, it will begin a journey of discovery that could […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
NB-2Ni aka “Nickleback” – A Substance That May Have Sparked Life On Earth
A team of Rutgers scientists dedicated to pinpointing the primordial origins of metabolism – a set of core chemical reactions that first powered life on Earth – has identified part […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
How Did Life Emerge In Chemically Complex Messy Environments?
One of the problems that make it difficult to solve the mystery of the origin of life is determining how life emerged in chemically complex messy environments on primitive Earth.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Prebiotic Chemistry Has Been Observed Around Shallow-Sea Vents
NASA-supported Astrobiologists have revealed that alkaline hydrothermal vents in shallow seas could have been a favorable environment for the chemistry leading up to the origin of life on the early […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Drying Process Could Be A Key Step In The Development Of Life
One-hundred fifty years ago, Charles Darwin speculated that life likely originated in a warm little pond.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Constraints on the Early Terrestrial Surface UV Environment Relevant to Prebiotic Chemistry
The UV environment is a key boundary condition for the origin of life. However, considerable uncertainty exists as to planetary conditions and hence surface UV at abiogenesis. Here, we present […]