How and where did life on Earth originate? To date, various environments have been proposed as plausible sites for the origin of life. However, discussions have focused on a limited […]
RNA
![Scheme of a geothermal valley between two snow-covered Hadean volcanoes. The fumaroles, thermal springs, apron pools, and terracettes are shown based on the reconstruction of the 3.48 Ga old Hadean geothermal system. On the right, various reactions of CO2 sequestration in a Hadean volcanic system are indicated, see Section 3.2.5 and Section 3.2.6. Inserts: (A) volcanic fumaroles, image from https://home.nps.gov/articles/000/fumaroles.htm, credit: USGS. (B) Schematic cross section of a pH-neutral hot spring, redrawn with modifications from [341,342]. (C) White Terraces of New Zealand as an example of volcanic terracettes (painted by Charles Bloomfield in 1884, two years before the terraces were buried under the waters of the lake Rotomahana following the eruption of Mt. Tarawera. Image credit: Museum of New Zeeland, https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/42254, accessed on 23 December 2024.). (D) Interconversion of nitriles, amides, and ammonium salts of organic acids, represented by their simplest species, in geothermal pools in the presence of inorganic catalysts; each of the nitrogen-containing compounds shown is considered as a substrate for further synthetic reactions. Formamide and other amides, as the least volatile components, may have sustained/buffered the whole system. -- Life via PubMed](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Origin-Of-The-RNA-World-In.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Moon, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Origin Of The RNA World In Cold Hadean Geothermal Fields Enriched In Zinc And Potassium – Abiogenesis As A Positive Fallout From The Moon-Forming Impact?
The ubiquitous, evolutionarily oldest RNAs and proteins exclusively use rather rare zinc as transition metal cofactor and potassium as alkali metal cofactor, which implies their abundance in the habitats of […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Structural Enzymology, Phylogenetics, Differentiation, and Symbolic Reflexivity at the Dawn of Biology
Translation of symbols in one chemical language into another defined genetics. Yet, the co-linearity of codons and amino acids is so commonplace an idea that few even ask how it […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Evolution Associated With The Membrane-takeover At An Early Stage Of Life
Modern cell membranes are primarily composed of phospholipids, while primitive cell membranes in the beginning of life are believed to have formed from simpler lipids (such as fatty acids) synthesized […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Chemists Recreate How RNA Might Have Reproduced For The First Time
Chemists at UCL and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology have demonstrated how RNA (ribonucleic acid) might have replicated itself on early Earth – a key process in the origin […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
An Ancient Protein Breaks The Rules Of Molecular Handedness
A new study led by researchers from the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at the Institute of Science Tokyo, in collaboration with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Weizmann Institute […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Assembly Of Catalytic Complexes From Randomized Oligonucleotides
The early evolution of life relied on catalytic RNAs (ribozymes) for central functions.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Mars, Status Report
Proteomic Insights Into Survival Strategies Of Escherichia Coli In Perchlorate-rich Martian Brines
Brines, potentially formed by the deliquescence and freezing point depression of highly hygroscopic salts, such as perchlorates (ClO4-), may allow for the spatial and temporal stability of liquid water on […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
How Calcium May Have Unlocked The Origins Of Life’s Molecular Asymmetry
A new study led by researchers at the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at Institute of Science Tokyo has uncovered a surprising role for calcium in shaping life’s earliest molecular structures. […]
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Tricorder Tech: Unlocking the Full Potential of Nanopore Sequencing: Tips, Tricks, and Advanced Data Analysis Techniques
Editor’s note: If we aspire to mount expeditions to new worlds and then embrace the task of characterizing and quantifying whatever life forms we find, the ability to map and […]