Synechococcus Archives - Astrobiology

Metabolic reconstruction of major pathways in Synechococcus MAGs. The draft genomes for free-living and sponge-associated Synechococcus from NCBI were compared with the two MAGs from the anoxic YBH layer. The number or percentage of KEGG genes in these genomes was illustrated to mediate the metabolic network. α-Glucose-1P: α-Glucose-1-phosphate; G6P: α-D-Glucose 6-phosphate; F6P: D-Fructose 6-phosphate; FBP: D-Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate; 3-PG: 3-Phospho-D-glycerate; 1,3-BPG: 1,3-Bisphospho-D-glycerate; GAP: Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate; Ribose-5P: Ribose 5-phosphate; Ribulose-5P: D-Ribulose 5-phosphate; Ribulose 1,5P2: D-Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate; Fructose 1,6P2: D-Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate; Xylulose-5P: D-Xylulose 5-phosphate; PEP: Phosphoenolpyruvate; 2-PG: 2-Phospho-D-glycerate; DHAP: dihydroxyacetone phosphate. GY3P: glycerol-3-phosphate; GlcNAc-1-P: N-Acetyl-alpha-D-glucosamine 1-phosphate; GlcNAc-6-P: N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine 6-phosphate; GlcN-6-P: D-Glucosamine 6-phosphate. -- Applied and Environmental Microbiology

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Anoxia-adapted Cyanobacteria In A Marine Blue Hole

by Keith CowingMarch 26, 2026March 26, 2026

Vertical transmission of marine particles brings ocean surface cyanobacteria into the deep ocean, where heterotrophic cyanobacterial lineages probably evolve to adapt to new environments even in oxygen-depleted zones.

The solid curve represents the average dissolved oceanic Ni concentration (nmol L−1). Light blue indicates pO2 (Present Atmospheric Level, PAL). Changes in urea concentration are indicated by a red gradient (darker red represents higher concentrations). The average dissolved oceanic Ni concentration is plotted on data from ref. 26, and the Oxygen evolution curve is from ref. 1. Solar Lyman α flux is from ref. 83. -- Nature

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Earth’s Oxygen Boom: A Fresh Perspective For A Billion-year-old Problem

by Keith CowingOctober 10, 2025October 10, 2025

The appearance of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere was a turning point in the history of our planet, forever transforming the environment and setting the stage for complex life. This event, […]

Synechococcus -- Wikipedia

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Synechococcus sp. PCC7335 Responses To Far-red Enriched Spectra and Anoxic/microoxic Atmospheres: Potential for Astrobiotechnological Applications

by Keith CowingJune 20, 2024June 20, 2024

Recently, cyanobacteria have gained attention in space exploration to support long-term crewed missions via Bioregenerative Life Support Systems. In this frame, cyanobacteria would provide biomass and profitable biomolecules through oxygenic […]

Divergence time and Marine silicon concentration for phytoplankton that may contain SITs-like or SITs -like proteins: Decimals near ancestral nodes indicate posterior probabilities. Solid red dots represent fossil calibration points, gray bar represents 95% confidence intervals, and solid black dots represent estimated divergence time by molecular clocks. 95% confidence intervals are shown here for only some nodes, Some solid points are not digitally labeled when their posterior probability is less than 0.5. Different colors in the background represent different geological periods. The diagram shows the representation of each class group. The graph below shows DSI concentrations of different geological ages, modified from Conley et al. (2017) and Siever (1991). -- biorxiv.org

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Silicification of Cyanobacteria

by Keith CowingMay 27, 2024May 27, 2024

The ability to use dissolved silicon has been found in various oceanic phytoplankton, including eukaryotic diatoms and prokaryotic cyanobacteria.