All articles tagged with #astrobiology
Researchers analyzing asteroid Ryugu samples discovered all five canonical nucleobases—adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine, and uracil—in roughly equal amounts, the first time these DNA/RNA letters have been found together in a single extraterrestrial material, reinforcing the idea that prebiotic molecules were common in the early solar system and could have been delivered to Earth by meteorites.
Scientists found bacteria and archaea two meters underground in Chile’s Atacama Desert, detected with the SOLID biosignature detector, revealing a hidden, salt‑rich microbial oasis that could inform how and where life might exist beneath Mars’ surface.
Analysis of Ryugu samples from JAXA’s Hayabusa2 mission finds all five nucleobases—uracil, adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine—the DNA/RNA building blocks, suggesting primitive asteroids can form and preserve prebiotic molecules and potentially deliver them to Earth, though this does not imply life existed on Ryugu; similar organics were found in Bennu samples, underscoring the ubiquity of these building blocks in the solar system.
Researchers drilling in a Canadian mine found water trapped in rock for about 1.1 to 2.6 billion years. Noble-gas dating shows its long isolation, while radiolysis from surrounding granite and quartz fuels a hidden microbial ecosystem, offering a rare window into deep subsurface life and implications for life on icy worlds or other planets.
A Nature Astronomy study confirms all five DNA/RNA nucleobases—adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil—are present in Ryugu asteroid samples, suggesting primitive space rocks can carry the building blocks of life and revealing a correlation with ammonia that points to a novel nucleobase formation pathway.
New analysis of Ryugu asteroid samples finds all five canonical nucleobases—adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine, and uracil—in both samples, completing the set previously observed on Bennu and suggesting carbon-rich asteroids could have delivered prebiotic molecules to early Earth.
A Nature Astronomy study analyzing Hayabusa2’s Ryugu samples found all five nucleobases—the DNA/RNA building blocks—supporting the idea that asteroids delivered the ingredients for life to early Earth. The researchers note Ryugu has roughly equal amounts of purine and pyrimidine bases, unlike some meteorites, and that ammonia concentration may influence nucleobase formation, suggesting such molecules could have been more widespread in the early solar system.
A study of Curiosity rover images by Ohio University professor William Romoser claims to have identified insect- and reptile-like creatures on Mars, suggesting Mars may host Earth-like life and proposing terms like astroentomology and astroherpetology; the findings are controversial and not broadly accepted by the scientific community.
NASA's Earth Observatory highlights Lake Unter-See in Antarctica, a deep, permanently ice-covered lake with unusually high dissolved oxygen, low CO2, and alkaline water that hosts tall conical stromatolites formed by cyanobacteria. These modern microbial reefs resemble Earth's earliest fossils and offer clues about life on icy worlds; a 2019 glacial flood increased water levels by about 2 meters, releasing 17.5 million cubic meters of meltwater and altering the lake's chemistry.
Johns Hopkins researchers simulated the harsh journey life might take on a rock traveling between planets, blasting Deinococcus radiodurans between metal plates at speeds up to 300 mph to mimic asteroid ejection from Mars. The microbes withstood 1–3 gigapascals of pressure, with only some internal damage, while the steel plates failed. The study lends support to the lithopanspermia idea that life could hitch rides on asteroids, but it remains unproven and limited in scope, and it underscores the need for planetary protection and further testing on other extremophiles.
In lab-made Martian soils (MGS-1 and OUCM-1), tardigrades showed reduced activity in MGS-1 and remained reasonably active in OUCM-1; a simple water rinse of MGS-1 restored vigor, suggesting some regolith components harm organisms but can be washed away. The study informs planetary-protection considerations and Mars-exploration planning, but results rely on simulations and further work under Mars-like pressure/temperature is needed.
Two tardigrade species were placed in Mars regolith simulants (MGS-1 and OUCM-1) and in Earth sand as a control. In the regolith, tardigrades died off quickly, especially Hypsibius exemplaris, while Ramazzottius cf. varieornatus fared somewhat better but still declined. When the simulant was rinsed with water, tardigrades survived longer and remained active, suggesting a water-soluble, damaging component in MGS-1. The finding could inform future Mars agriculture and planetary protection, though researchers did not test radiation, temperature, or other environmental factors, and the exact cause remains to be identified. The study was published in the International Journal of Astrobiology.
A NASA-led analysis of long-chain organic molecules found in the Cumberland mudstone sampled by the Curiosity rover suggests the organics could plausibly arise from biological processes. While nonbiological explanations were increasingly unlikely, the researchers stop short of proving past life on Mars, noting that larger molecules and definitive biosignatures may require Earth-based experiments and a future Mars sample-return mission.
NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover is studying six-foot-high “boxwork” ridges on Mount Sharp, likely formed by ancient lakes and groundwater. The minerals, including clay, suggest wet conditions long ago and the possibility of preserved signs of past microbial life. The team has mapped routes through the ridges, plans to leave the area next month, and will continue exploring the sulfate-rich layers to understand Mars’ climate history.
Researchers studying 4,000–6,000-year-old gypsum crusts and stromatolites in Chile’s Atacama Desert found living and fossilized microbial signatures. Gypsum’s light-transmitting, protective properties can shield biosignatures, making these crystals a potential time capsule for past life and a model for what to look for on Mars in future missions.