evolution Archives - Page 6 of 32

Structure of Bas63, a virus which targets E. coli, in molecular detail. Credit University of Otago

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio

Structure Of Bacteriophage Bas63: The Potential And Beauty Of The World Unseen

by Keith CowingNovember 19, 2025November 19, 2025

2.5 billion year old microbial structures -- The black features within this thin slice of rock are 2.5-billion-year-old microbial structures. This study suggests that the organic matter preserved within this complex microbial community may have been produced by photosynthetic microorganisms. Image credit: Andrea Corpolongo

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life

Chemical Evidence Of Ancient Life Detected In 3.3 billion-year-old Rocks

by Keith CowingNovember 18, 2025November 18, 2025

The spectrum of UV light available at Earth’s surface before the origin of life at approximately 3.9 Ga and until at least 2.9 Ga

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Stellar Cartography

Abiogenesis On Different Star Types; a Dissipative Photochemical Perspective

by Keith CowingNovember 18, 2025November 18, 2025

Design and evaluation of random peptide libraries using distinct amino acid alphabets. (a) Chemical structures of 16 α-amino acids assembled through solid phase peptide synthesis to generate random 25-mer peptides utilising one of nine distinct alphabets (collections of amino acids). Dap, 2,3-diaminopropionic acid; Dab, 2,4-diaminobutyric acid; Aad, 2- aminoadipic acid; Api, 2-aminopimelic acid. -- biorxiv.org

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life

Prebiotically Plausible Peptides Can Self-assemble Into β-rich Nanostructures

by Keith CowingNovember 17, 2025November 17, 2025

The “tree” here is the taxonomic tree of the organisms analysed, coloured by major group. The red bars on the outside of the tree show how many species have been sequenced in each Order of organisms. Graphic by Mark Blaxter for DToL. Organism silhouettes from PhyloPic (https://www.phylopic.org/) CCBY-4.0. via Darwin Tree of Life Project

Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life

Jumping Genes Help Resolve The Tree Of Life

by Keith CowingNovember 12, 2025November 12, 2025

c. Approximate ages for the origin of nitrogenase isoforms are based on geochemical12 and phylogenetic data. -- biorxiv.org

News Summary Archives

Resurrected Nitrogenases Recapitulate Canonical N-isotope Biosignatures Over Two Billion Years

by Keith CowingNovember 12, 2025November 12, 2025

Experimental characterization and structural analysis of designed ancestral proteins. (A) Schematic representation of the design workflow for ancestral proteins. (B) Summary table reporting general features of the selected designs and their expression outcomes; proteins 5 successfully expressed in the laboratory are indicated in bold. (C) CD spectra of the purified ancestral proteins. (D) Structural comparisons of Ap3, Fd3, and Rn2, respectively. Experimentally determined NMR structures are shown in blue, the corresponding wild-type templates in red, and the designed models from RFdiffusion in grey -- biorxiv.org

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life

Ancient Amino Acid Sets Enable Stable Protein Folds

by Keith CowingNovember 6, 2025November 6, 2025

Solar forcing approximation in the SCION model. (a) Comparison of solar insolation at 65°N with air temperature variations over 40–80°N in the past 1,500–2,450 kyr. (b) A cross plot of solar insolation at 65°N with the air temperatures. (c) Insolation-induced air temperature 2D deviation stacks in the revised SCION model schematic diagram. -- Geophysical Research Letters

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Origin & Evolution of Life

Orbitally-Driven Nutrient Pulses Linked to Early Cambrian Periodic Oxygenation and Animal Radiation

by Keith CowingNovember 2, 2025November 2, 2025

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life

A Recipe to Evolve Complex Life Chemically on Earth

by Keith CowingOctober 30, 2025October 30, 2025

Equisetum laevigatum (c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) Source: iNatualist.org

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Meteorites & Asteroids

Using An Ancient Plant To Decode Earth’s Climate History

by Keith CowingOctober 30, 2025October 30, 2025

Extreme Arabian Environments And Their Microbiomes: New Frontiers For Astrobiology And Biosignature Discovery

Astrobiology assesses the habitability of planetary bodies and the potential for extraterrestrial life. Analog environments on Earth serve as sites for studying extreme environments that resemble extraterrestrial conditions, aiding in validating life-detection methods, mission instrumentation, and biosignature preservation. These environments function as a source of model microorganisms and communities that define the habitability and biochemistry…

by Keith Cowing April 13, 2026April 13, 2026

From Early Earth to Enceladus – Mineral Electrochemistry Could Drive Organic Synthesis

At some point in Earth’s history, chemistry transitioned from abiotic organic synthesis—the building of more complicated organic molecules from smaller ones by nonbiological means—to biochemistry. Hydrothermal settings are compelling sites for the origins of this transition because they are natural chemical reactors. In this non-equilibrium setting; hot, reduced fluids continuously mix with cold, oxidized seawater…

by Keith Cowing April 13, 2026April 13, 2026

Chang’e Mission Samples Reveal How Exogenous Organic Matter Evolves On The Moon

Elements essential to life, such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur, were “delivered” to the Earth and Moon during the early stages of the Solar System via asteroids and comets impacting their surfaces. These exogenous materials may have provided the chemical building blocks necessary for the origin and early evolution of life on Earth.…

by Keith Cowing April 13, 2026April 13, 2026