astrobiology

Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology propose a novel pathway for pentose synthesis on early Earth, bridging the gap between prebiotic chemistry and the building blocks of life, with implications for our understanding of biochemistry and astrobiology. Scientists investigate the possible chemical pathways by which pentoses could have formed on early Earth. Pentoses are essential carbohydrates in the metabolism of modern lifeforms, but their availability during early Earth is unclear since these molecules are…

Recent research in ACS Central Science reveals that carbamic acid, a simple amino acid, might have formed in interstellar ices near forming stars or planets, much earlier than life on Earth. This suggests that essential life components could have originated from outer space and been brought to Earth via meteorites or comets. New research suggests that carbamic acid, a basic amino acid, could have originated in interstellar ices, indicating that life’s building blocks predate Earth and were possibly delivered via…

A team of U.S. scientists has developed an AI-based system capable of detecting signs of life with 90% accuracy. This system can distinguish between biological and abiotic materials. It holds significant implications for understanding life’s origins on Earth and Mars and detecting extraterrestrial life, potentially transforming astrobiology.The system demonstrates 90% accuracy in distinguishing between biological and non-biological samples.Humankind is looking for life on other planets, but how will we recognize it when…

Scientists have developed a groundbreaking AI-based method to detect signs of life on other planets. This method, with 90% accuracy, distinguishes between biological and abiotic samples by analyzing molecular patterns. It promises to revolutionize space exploration and our understanding of life’s origins, with potential applications in various fields including biology and archaeology.“The Holy Grail of astrobiology” – New machine learning technique can determine whether a sample is of biological or non-biological origin…

University of Cambridge researchers have demonstrated how comets could deliver life’s molecular building blocks to planets in the galaxy, particularly in ‘peas in a pod’ systems where planets orbit closely together.Cambridge researchers propose that comets could transport life’s building blocks to other planets, especially in ‘peas in a pod’ systems. Their findings suggest that these molecules can survive on planets with closely orbiting neighbors, offering new insights into the search for extraterrestrial life.How did…

Earlier this week, scientists announced that Perseverance found organic molecules on Mars. Not life itself—hardly—but another endorsement of the ancient habitat on Mars as having been suitable for life.Perseverance has been searching for biosignatures—that is, signs of ancient life on Mars—since it landed on the Red Planet in February 2021. But the search for that life began years before Perseverance even left Earth, with the labors of the Curiosity rover.Curiosity launched for Mars in 2011, a decade before the…

Researchers poring over imagery and data from the Perseverance rover on Mars have found evidence of organic molecules in the planet’s Jezero Crater, potentially providing evidence of the planet’s carbon cycles and its ability to host life.Cecilia Rose Gooding on the Writers Strike | io9 InterviewThe discovery is by no means a confirmation that life once existed on Mars, but it is a sign that the conditions necessary for life as we know it once did. Perseverance is investigating many aspects of the fourth planet from the…

I discovered over the past several years that I’m not as rare as I once thought I was. There are many people out there who have a science and arts interest and aren’t quite sure how to combine them. I wrote this for people who have more than one interest, maybe more than two, and they’re not sure what to do about that. I wrote it for people who think that it’s too late to have that life or career they wanted to have because of personal, financial, logistical challenges. As an older returning student, I had thought, “It’s…

Planetary protection is, more than ever, a major responsibility for humankind. Ensuring that no alien matter is carried back to Earth by spacecraft returning from an interplanetary mission is not the whole issue, however, as planetary protection also involves making sure that the planets and other celestial bodies that we visit remain pristine, in order not to jeopardize scientific research.Taking out the Trash (in Space)Formulating policies for planetary protection issues and keeping them up-to-date is the responsibility…

Scientists have found traces of phosphorus, a fundamental ingredient for life, in ice grains spewed into space by Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons.NASA Delays Return to Earth's Evil Twin, VenusEnceladus is a tiny (310-mile-wide, or 500-kilometer-wide) moon orbiting Saturn, the great ringed gas giant of our solar system. It’s less wide than the United Kingdom, but Enceladus is of outsizedinterest to astrobiologists because of its subsurface ocean, which lies beneath its icy crust.Now researchers have found signs of a rare…