psychrophile Archives - Astrobiology

Graphical abstract -- University of Waterloo

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Do Extreme Environments Shape Microbial Genomes?

by Keith CowingMarch 14, 2026March 14, 2026

Evolutionary biologists have long known that DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of all organisms, contains a record of ancestry. Indeed, […]

Representation of the molecular systems simulated by MD of PA (blue), EC (green) and AA(red) proteins at varying concentration. -- Nature Communications via PubMed

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report

Cytoplasmic Fluidity And The Cold Life: Proteome Stability Is Decoupled From Viability In Psychrophiles

by Keith CowingDecember 17, 2025

Protein diffusion, critical for cellular metabolism, occurs in the highly crowded cytoplasm. Understanding how this dynamics changes when organisms are adapted to different thermal niches is a fundamental challenge in […]

This high-temperature hydrothermal vent

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report

Microbes in Extreme Environments: Life at the Limits and Its Biotechnological Applications

by Keith CowingMarch 21, 2025March 21, 2025

Microorganisms are found in nearly every environment on Earth, including some of the most extreme habitats where life was once thought to be impossible. These “extremophiles” thrive in conditions of […]

Cold RNA misfolding and phase transitions. (A) Illustration of a multi-colored free-energy landscape (FEL) at different temperatures. The temperature arrow indicates the tendency to explore low-lying energy states with the FEL becoming rougher upon cooling: from high (red) to intermediate (green) and low (blue) temperatures. Transition state (TS) distances are typically shorter for M than N, denoting disordered and compact misfolded structures. The encircled schematic folds are for illustration purposes. (B) Temperature-dependent entropy (black) and enthalpy (grey) of N for H1L12A (empty symbols) and H1L4A (full symbols). The results are reported in Table S5 and S6, Supp. Info. Fits to the entropy values in the hot (red) and cold (blue) regimes for H1L12A (solid lines) and H1L4A (dashed lines) are also shown. The transition between the two regimes occurs at TG ⇠ 293K ⇠ 20C (dashed grey band) with a sudden change in Cp. Inset. Stability curves of H1L12A (empty black circles) and H1L4A (solid grey squares). Maximum stability is found at TS ⇠ 278K ⇠ 5C (vertical black line) with melting temperatures at TH ⇠ 370K ⇠ 100C (red lines). Extrapolations of G0(T) in the cold regime predict cold denaturation at TC ⇠ 220K ⇠ 50C for both hairpins (blue lines). -- PNAS

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Press Release

A New Biochemistry For RNA At Low Temperatures

by Keith CowingSeptember 11, 2024September 11, 2024

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biological molecule with crucial functions in the genetics of organisms and plays a key role in the origin and evolution of life. With a composition […]