NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  1. Content with the tag: “origin of life

  2. Replicating RNA


    Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute have made important steps toward understanding how life originated by shedding light on the ‘RNA World’ hypothesis. The ‘RNA World’ refers to the idea that life on Earth went through a stage where RNA was used to store information and act as a catalyst, much like DNA and proteins are used in organisms today. A critical component of this stage would be that RNA molecules would have to replicate themselves. The team at Scripps has now synthesized RNA enzymes that can replicate themselves without the help of additional...

    Read More

    Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

    Tags , , ,
    Comments No comments yet, you could be the first.
  3. Follow the Elements


    New research funded by the NASA Astrobiology Institute is providing insight into how the distribution of elements in Earth’s oceans has affected the evolution of life over time. The research sheds light on how the biosphere of Earth has changed alongside the planetary environment, and will help astrobiologists understand the conditions necessary for life on other planets.

    Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

    Tags , , ,
    Comments No comments yet, you could be the first.
  4. Seeing Life in Viruses


    Viruses
    From Astrobiology Magazine, European Edition is a story about research conducted by Kirsi Lehto of the University of Turku in Finland. Lehto studies plant viruses with an eye toward their role in the origin and evolution of life.

    Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

    Tags ,
    Comments No comments yet, you could be the first.
  5. Miller-Urey Revisited


    Members of NAI’s Carnegie Institution of Washington, Indiana University, and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Teams and their colleagues have revisited the Miller-Urey experiments, and found some surprising results.

    A classic experiment proving amino acids are created when inorganic molecules are exposed to electricity isn’t the whole story, it turns out. The 1953 Miller-Urey Synthesis had two sibling studies, neither of which was published. Vials containing the products from those experiments were recently recovered and reanalyzed using modern technology. The results are reported in this week’s Science.

    One of the unpublished experiments by...

    Read More

    Source: [Indiana University Press Release]

    Tags , ,
    Comments No comments yet, you could be the first.
  6. Deep Hydrogen


    Molecular hydrogen provides energy for many bacteria, in hot springs at Yellowstone and in rocks several kilometers beneath the surface. How did molecular hydrogen get inside these deep rocks, and what does this tell us about the origin of life on Earth?

    Read More

    Source: [Link]

    Tags , ,
    Comments 1
  1. Tell us what you think!


    It's your Astrobiology Program: please help us out by sending comments on what's here, and ideas for new features.

Page Feedback

Email (optional)
Comment
Tags