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  1. Content with the tag: “origin of life

  2. Functional Genomics of Thioredoxins in Halobacterium sp. NRC-1

    ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 5.1, 5.3

    Module 1: The Building Blocks of Life

    ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 4.2, 7.1

    Origin of Life and Catalysis - Philosophical Considerations

    ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.2

    Philosophical Problems in Astrobiology; issues on the origin of life,

    ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2
  3. Reanimating Extinct Genes


    Can evolution be played over again in the lab? A group of researchers plans to insert an ancient gene in a modern day bacteria and see if this gene will mutate back to its current-day form. The results will give insight into how unique the evolutionary path may be.

    Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

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  4. How Life Shatters Chemistry's Mirror


    Handedness, or “chirality,” is when molecules come in two forms that are mirror images of each other, like right- and left-handed gloves. Even though chiral molecules are produced equally in nature, life seems to prefer one hand over the other. The reason for this is a mystery that scientists are struggling to answer.

    Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

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  5. Unlocking the Combination


    Researchers in the field of synthetic biology are still a long way away from being able to assemble living cells from raw materials. However, their research is now yielding important clues about the origin of life on Earth. By studying how molecules self-assemble, a team of scientists from UC Santa Cruz is shedding light on how the first protocells were able to capture energy and nutrients from the environment – ultimately allowing for growth and reproduction. The results of their research were recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in...

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    Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

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  6. Life in Transition



    The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a new initiative from the Biological Sciences Directorate to support emerging interdisciplinary research at the intersection of the life and physical sciences. The program will focus particularly on the fundamental questions of ‘Life in Transition’, including areas relevant to the goals of astrobiology. These areas include “how the living world has and is adapting to and transforming the Earth’s climate, the diverse strategies by which living systems obtain and use energy, and life’s origins and indispensable properties.

    Target and deadline dates for proposals are...


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    Source: [NSF]

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  7. 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...

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    Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

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  8. 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]

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  9. 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]

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  10. 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...

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    Source: [Indiana University Press Release]

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  11. 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?

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    Source: [Link]

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