Life's Boiling Point

Some proteins can work above the boiling point of water, but these vital biomolecules may have a harder time evolving at high temperature. A new project is searching for the maximum temperature for protein-based life.

Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

November 12, 2008 / Written by: Michael Schirber

Potential Origin of Primordial Protein Enzymes

Life on earth is facilitated by a multitude of enzymes that catalyze essential chemical reactions. The vast majority of today’s enzymes are proteins, yet looking at the complex and intricate structures of natural enzymes it is hard to imagine how the first enzymes emerged.

However, new experiments by Seelig and Szostak, show that small, simple enzymes can evolve rather easily. In the August 16, 2007 issue of Nature, they describe the generation of an artificial enzyme by simulating evolution in a test tube. The researchers at first produced a random library of 4 trillion...

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Extracellular Protein-Metal Aggregates: A New Biosignature?

Deep inside a flooded mine in Wisconsin, scientists from NAI’s University of California, Berkeley Team have discovered an environment in which bacteria emit proteins that sweep up metal nanoparticles into immobile clumps. Their finding may lead to innovative ways to remediate subsurface metal toxins, and have exciting implications for identifying biosignatures on Earth and other worlds. The research, published in the June 14th issue of Science, was done in collaboration with a team from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Source: [Link]

June 14, 2007 / Posted by: Shige Abe