From the first botanical characterization of cyanobacteria about two centuries ago to contemporary studies, only two categories of extracellular UV-screening pigments have been considered: scytonemin which is very well described […]
Scytonemin
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report
Microstructural And Biochemical Constraints On Cryptoendolithic Life In Atacama Halite: Implications For Extreme Habitability
Halite pinnacles from the Yungay area in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert harbor cryptoendolithic microbial colonies.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Revision of the Structure of Scytonemin Imine and Its Relationship to Scytonemin: Chromism and Implications for Astrobiology and Cyanobacterial Adaptability
Scytonemin, a UV-protective pigment produced by cyanobacteria, is essential for microbial survival under extreme solar radiation.
