Pubmed Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Astrobiology

MinION DNA sequencer - Nanopore

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Icy Worlds, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

Biosignature Detection And MinION Sequencing Of Antarctic Cryptoendoliths After Exposure To Mars Simulation Conditions

by Keith CowingJanuary 3, 2024January 3, 2024

In the search for life in our Solar System, Mars remains a promising target based on its proximity and similarity to Earth. When Mars transitioned from a warmer, wetter climate […]

The two major field sites: Eldfell, a decade-old eruption site on the island of Heimaey, and Fimmvörðuháls, a region between glaciers with access to both very recent and much older lava fields. At each major site, triplicate samples were taken at each point in a 1 m triangle; this pattern was repeated at 2–3 locations 10 m apart, and then that nested pattern was repeated 2–3 times at locations 100 m apart. -- Astrobiology via PubMed

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

Correlations Between Life-Detection Techniques and Implications for Sampling Site Selection in Planetary Analog Missions

by Keith CowingDecember 20, 2023December 20, 2023

We conducted an analog sampling expedition under simulated mission constraints to areas dominated by basaltic tephra of the Eldfell and Fimmvörðuháls lava fields (Iceland).

a Overall structure of E.coli RNA polymerase EC. αI, αII, β′, β and ω subunit of RNAP were colored in green, cyan, gray, yellow, and red, respectively. RNA, template strand DNA (TS), non-template strand DNA (NTS) are shown in red, blue and dark green, respectively. b Model and map of three unnatural base pairs; dB:STP, dB:UTP and dS:BTP are shown with Cryo-EM density maps. c Active site of three UBP EC structures. Bridge helix (BH) is colored in green. UBP in +1 position were colored yellow. Other parts of the structures are colored white. The nitrogen, oxygen, phosphate, and carbon atoms of the base pair at i + 1 position are colored in blue, red, orange, and yellow, respectively. -- Nature Communications

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Expanding The Natural Genetic Code – Implications For SynBio And Origin Of Life?

by Keith CowingDecember 19, 2023January 10, 2026

Editor’s note: The genetic code of all life (with a few minor exceptions) on our home world is based on a genomic code consisting of 4 standard nucleotides. It is […]

evolution

Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology, Press Release

Photosynthesis on Earth: Evolution Of Increased Complexity And Specificity At The Dawn Of Form I Rubiscos

by Keith CowingOctober 15, 2022October 15, 2022

The evolution of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenases (Rubiscos) that discriminate strongly between their substrate carbon dioxide and the undesired side substrate dioxygen was an important event for photosynthetic organisms adapting to an […]

The ONT MinION MK1B performing a calibration test on Hut Point Peninsula - PubMed

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

Tricorder Tech: Real-Time DNA Sequencing in the Antarctic Dry Valleys Using the Oxford Nanopore Sequencer

by Keith CowingMarch 22, 2017January 4, 2025

The ability to sequence DNA outside of the laboratory setting has enabled novel research questions to be addressed in the field in diverse areas, ranging from environmental microbiology to viral […]

Life in the Universe - An Assessment of U.S. and International Programs in Astrobiology -- NASA via PubMed

Astrobiology (general), NASA Astrobiology Program, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Status Report

Life in the Universe – An Assessment of U.S. and International Programs in Astrobiology

by Keith CowingJanuary 1, 2003April 19, 2026

National Research Council (US) Committee on the Origins and Evolution of Life.Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2003.ISBN-10: 0-309-08496-2Original open access posting: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK220844/ on PubMed Executive Summary The past decade […]