NASA Astrobiology

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A volcanically active planet is shown in closeup at the left side of the image with glowing eruptions and lines of lava on the surface. To the right and in the distance is a faint blue glowing ball representing the more massive planet in the system.

Sixteen frames from Voyager 1's flyby of Jupiter in 1979 were merged to create this image. Jupiter's Great Red Spot is visible in the center. Jupiter's moon Europa can be seen in the foreground at the bottom left of the image.

The frame is a horizontal rainbow of color on a grid. Shadows of molecules can be seen through the light as well as the jagged peaks and troughs of spectral lines.

Fizzy Super Earths and Lava Worlds“Fizzy Super-Earths: Impacts of Magma Composition on the Bulk Density and Structure of Lava Worlds.” in The Astrophysical Journal.01/03

Identifying Hydrothermal Activity on Icy Ocean Worlds“Ethene-ethanol ratios as potential indicators of hydrothermal activity at Enceladus, Europa, and other icy ocean worlds.” In Icarus.02/03

NASA Raman Spectroscopic Database"The NASA Raman spectroscopic database: Ramdb version 1.00.” In Icarus.03/03

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April 2023The potential of glyoxylate as a prebiotic source molecule and a reactant in protometabolic pathways—The glyoxylose reaction

Krishnamurthy, R., & Liotta, C. L. (2023). The potential of glyoxylate as a prebiotic source molecule and a reactant in protometabolic pathways—The glyoxylose reaction. Chem, 9(4), 784–797. doi:10.1016/j.chempr.2023.03.007

January 2023How to build a protoribosome: structural insights from the first protoribosome constructs that have proven to be catalytically active

Rivas, M., & Fox, G. E. (2023). How to build a protoribosome: structural insights from the first protoribosome constructs that have proven to be catalytically active. RNA, 29(3), 263–272. doi:10.1261/rna.079417.122

December 2022Creative destruction: New protein folds from old

Alvarez-Carreño, C., Gupta, R. J., Petrov, A. S., & Williams, L. D. (2022). Creative destruction: New protein folds from old. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(52), None. doi:10.1073/pnas.2207897119

Organophosphorus Compound Formation Through the Oxidation of Reduced Oxidation State Phosphorus Compounds on the Hadean Earth

Gull, M., Feng, T., Bracegirdle, J., Abbott-Lyon, H., & Pasek, M. A. (2022). Organophosphorus Compound Formation Through the Oxidation of Reduced Oxidation State Phosphorus Compounds on the Hadean Earth. Journal of Molecular Evolution. doi:10.1007/s00239-022-10086-w

July 2022Prebiotic synthesis of α-amino acids and orotate from α-ketoacids potentiates transition to extant metabolic pathways

Pulletikurti, S., Yadav, M., Springsteen, G., & Krishnamurthy, R. (2022). Prebiotic synthesis of α-amino acids and orotate from α-ketoacids potentiates transition to extant metabolic pathways. Nature Chemistry. doi:10.1038/s41557-022-00999-w

April 2022Synthesis and hydrolytic stability of cyclic phosphatidic acids: implications for synthetic- and proto-cell studies

Ortuno, V. E., Pulletikurti, S., Veena, K. S., & Krishnamurthy, R. (2022). Synthesis and hydrolytic stability of cyclic phosphatidic acids: implications for synthetic- and proto-cell studies. Chemical Communications. doi:10.1039/d2cc00292b

February 2022Cyanide as a primordial reductant enables a protometabolic reductive glyoxylate pathway

Yadav, M., Pulletikurti, S., Yerabolu, J. R., & Krishnamurthy, R. (2022). Cyanide as a primordial reductant enables a protometabolic reductive glyoxylate pathway. Nature Chemistry, 14(2), 170–178. doi:10.1038/s41557-021-00878-w

Rethinking the Search for the Origins of Life

Trail, D., Elsila, J., M�ller, U., Lyons, T., & Rogers, K. (2022). Rethinking the Search for the Origins of Life. Eos, 103, None. doi:10.1029/2022eo220065

December 2021Nonstandard RNA/RNA interactions likely enhance folding and stability of segmented ribosomes

Rivas, M., & Fox, G. E. (2021). Nonstandard RNA/RNA interactions likely enhance folding and stability of segmented ribosomes. RNA, 28(3), 340–352. doi:10.1261/rna.079006.121

January 2021Water and Life: The Medium is the Message

Frenkel-Pinter, M., Rajaei, V., Glass, J. B., Hud, N. V., & Williams, L. D. (2021). Water and Life: The Medium is the Message. Journal of Molecular Evolution. doi:10.1007/s00239-020-09978-6

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