For astrobiologists, the search for life beyond our solar system could be likened to where one would look in a vast desert—essentially, where there’s water. And it turns out that […]
UC Santa Cruz
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Pluto, Press Release
Cooling Effects Of Pluto’s Haze Confirmed By James Webb Telescope Data
The first observations of Pluto by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) reveal dramatic phenomena on its surface, like seasonal cycles of volatile ice redistribution across its surface, and material […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Extinction events, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Press Release, Radiation
Cosmic Radiation From A Supernova Altered Virus Evolution In Africa, Study Proposes
Isolated by mountains along the East African Rift is Lake Tanganyika. Over 400 miles long, it is the continent’s deepest lake and accounts for 16% of the world’s available freshwater. […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Simulations Show How Low Gravity On Ocean Worlds Might Help To Sustain Warm Water Circulation For Millions Of Years
A new study led by team members at UC Santa Cruz have used a complex computer model to investigate how the influence of low gravity, as found on ocean worlds […]
Posted inBiophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology, Press Release
The First Known Nitrogen-fixing Organelle
Modern biology textbooks assert that only bacteria can take nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into a form that is usable for life. Plants that fix nitrogen, such as […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Space Life Science, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: UCSC Astrobiologist David Deamer And Mark Akeson Honored For Invention Of Nanopore Sequencing
[In September 2023] two UC Santa Cruz researchers were honored at the Library of Congress for the invention of nanopore sequencing, which became a new and revolutionary method to read […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, SETI & Technosignatures
PANOSETI Expansion At Lick Observatory
PANOSETI, or “Panoramic SETI or Pulse All-sky Near Infrared Optical SETI ” is an exciting and innovative project in the field of astronomy and the search for extraterrestrial life. It […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans
Congressional Testimony By Natalie Batalha: Early Science Results for Transiting Exoplanets Observed by JWST
JWST is ushering in a new epoch of exoplanet science that will rewrite textbooks. Progress will stem largely from the characterization of exoplanet atmospheres enabled by JWST technology. Herein, I […]
Posted inHabitable Zones
Radioactive Elements May Be Crucial To The Habitability Of Rocky Planets
The amount of long-lived radioactive elements incorporated into a rocky planet as it forms may be a crucial factor in determining its future habitability, according to a new study by […]