Early Martian life may have used sulfur as an energy source Using an environment on Earth that simulates early Mars conditions, researchers found an abundance of bacteria that get their energy from sulfur-containing molecules, suggesting a new focus in the search for biosignatures on the Red Planet. September 7, 2020 by Brooke Carruthers Read More
How Biology Writes Its Signature Scientists search for extraterrestrial life by looking for tell-tale signs of biologic activity including plant pigments and changes in atmosphere composition over time. August 26, 2020 by Garrett Campion Read More
Ice-covered moon shows promise for harboring life Could there be life on Saturn's moon? Hydrogen found in the icy plumes of Enceladus may be evidence for hydrothermal processes that could support life. July 9, 2020 by Dylan Mankel Read More
How does life handle the harshness of space? Experiments on the International Space Station showed that lichens, a combination of algae and fungi, survived in space-like, flight, and Mars-like environments. June 3, 2020 by Justin Dingman Read More
Bacteria from the Black Sea Have an Unusual Diet A new species of bacterium was discovered that lives off manganese and sulfur instead of oxygen or carbon dioxide January 9, 2020 by Alex Duff Read More
We can learn about life on other planets by studying viruses These scientists suggest that perhaps viruses were the first "life form" on Earth, a provocative idea! January 1, 2020 by Justin Dingman Read More
Can life hiding near Yellowstone National Park’s hot springs tell us about the ancient Earth? Sunlight-driven life hiding under layers of silica near Yellowstone’s hot springs may hold clues for what Earth was like billions of years ago July 24, 2019 by Mary Sabuda Read More
“Hulk”-like microorganisms in soil can survive high levels of gamma radiation Scientists exposed soil microorganisms to low, medium, and high doses of gamma radiation to see who could survive June 19, 2019 by Mary Sabuda Read More
Are the Building Blocks of Life From A Hydrothermal Vent? How studying hydrothermal systems gives us a window into our past May 15, 2019 by Osama Alian Read More
Believe it or not, we can (kind of) measure the air pressure of early Earth! Blue-green algae's response to different nitrogen pressures may tell us what fossils to look for and what those fossils tell us about ancient air pressure. February 13, 2019 by Sanjoy Som Read More
