The emergence of RNA on the early Earth is likely to have been influenced by a series of chemical and physical processes that acted to filter out various alternative nucleic […]
RNA
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report
Viruses In Astrobiology
Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth, and yet, they have not received enough consideration in astrobiology.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
From the RNA-Peptide World: Prebiotic Reaction Conditions Compatible with Lipid Membranes for the Formation of Lipophilic Random Peptides in the Presence of Short Oligonucleotides, and More
Deciphering the origins of life on a molecular level includes unravelling the numerous interactions that could occur between the most important biomolecules being the lipids, peptides and nucleotides. They were […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Emergence Of Catalytic Function In Prebiotic Information-coding Polymers
Life as we know it relies on the interplay between catalytic activity and information processing carried out by biological polymers.
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microgravity, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Space Life Science, Space Stations, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Validation Of Cell-free Protein Synthesis Aboard The International Space Station
Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) is a rapidly maturing in vitro gene expression platform that can be used to transcribe and translate nucleic acids at the point of need, enabling on-demand […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Synthesizing Nucleic Acids Before The Emergence Of Life
Life on Earth comes in many diverse forms, yet there are certain biological molecules that are used by all life, appearing in every living cell throughout history.
![Type II tRNA evolved via RNA ligation and a 9 nt internal deletion within ligated 3′- and 5′-acceptor stems [42]. Also, 3 31 nt minihelices (one D loop minihelix (magenta 17 nt core) and two anticodon stem-loop-stem minihelices (blue 17 nt core)) were fused by ligation for minihelix replication. The 93 nt tRNA precursor was processed by an internal 9 nt deletion (see below) within fused 3′-acceptor (yellow) and 5′-acceptor (green) stems. In the type II tRNA structure, the red arrow indicates the fusion of the magenta segment (17 nt D loop minihelix core; UAGCC repeat) and the green segment (5′-acceptor stem fragment; initially GGCGG). Abbreviations: SLS) stem-loop-stem; Ac) anticodon. Molecular graphics were created using ChimeraX [43]. -- Life](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/The331NucleotideMinihelix.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
The 3 31 Nucleotide Minihelix tRNA Evolution Theorem and the Origin of Life
There are no theorems (proven theories) in the biological sciences. We propose that the 3 31 nt minihelix tRNA evolution theorem be universally accepted as one.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Coenzyme-Protein Interactions Since Early Life
Recent findings in protein evolution and peptide prebiotic plausibility have been setting the stage for reconsidering the role of peptides in the early stages of life’s origin.
![Examples of prebiotic analogue conditions. (A) A boiling, hydrothermal pool on Mount Mutnovsky, an active volcano south of Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, Russia. The author is pointing at a membranous froth produced by myristic acid added to the pool [4]. Photo credit: Tony Hoffman). (B) Hydrothermal water in Bumpass Hell on Mount Lassen, California (photograph by author). (C) Hydrothermal pools in Hell’s Gate, near Rotorua, New Zealand (Photograph by author). (D) Fly Geyser in the Black Rock playa of northern Nevada (credit: Bruce Damer). -- Life](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Template.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Template-Directed Replication and Chiral Resolution during Wet–Dry Cycling in Hydrothermal Pools
The commonly supposed template-based format for RNA self-replication requires both duplex assembly and disassembly.
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Tricorder Tech: Translation As A Biosignature
Life on Earth relies on mechanisms to store heritable information and translate this information into cellular machinery required for biological activity. In all known life, storage, regulation, and translation are […]