Origin of life digest

First ool-digest edition of 2022: we have two papers in astrobiology, two in biochemistry and one in computational biology. In astrobiology, Coelho presents a spectra catalogue of life in ice to facilitate the search for biosignatures and Raymond-Bouchard discusses sequencing with the MinION instrument as a way to detect microbial biosignatures. In biochemistry, Mizuuchi discusses recent approaches to develop a replication system capable of Darwinian evolution and Yukawa suggests that the RNA-DNA transition could have been easier than previously thought. Finally, in computational biology Bonforti presents a model of cell-cell adhesion addressing the problem of how multicellularity could have emerged. Happy reading!

Seven papers this week in OoL research ; four in astrobiology and three in biochemistry. In astrobiology, Bains presents a model according to which some gases in Venusian clouds would be biogenic, Barge discusses the threshold between abiotic and biotic sources for biosignatures, DePasquale suggests that Mars’ missing water might be stored in a clay mineral, and Paschek models nucleobase concentrations in planetesimals of carbonaceous chondrites. In biochemistry, Ding suggests that more uniform binding and reactivity of imidazolium-bridged intermediates may lead to the ability to copy arbitrary template sequences under prebiotically plausible conditions, Henriques Pereira discusses the role of geochemical protoenzymes in primordial metabolism, and Joshi analyzes the potential of N-acyl amino acids as a plausible niche for the emergence of cellular life on the early Earth. Enjoy!

This week in ool research we have three astrobiology papers, three in biochemistry and two in planetary science. In astrobiology, Seager presents a suite of mission concepts to study habitability on Venus, Tomita-Yokotani investigates cell survival during the Tanpopo ISS mission, and Yiğit discusses atmospheric escapes that affected Mars’ habitability. In biochemistry, Fraccia investigates light-responsive reactive coacervates as a route to the non-enzymatic synthesis of polynucleotides, Sauer discusses the formation of the peptide world on early Earth, and Wimmer analyzes the energetics of LUCA. Finally, in planetary science Havig analyzes the elemental composition of hot spring biocumulus, and Mojzsis discusses the ingredients of a rocky planet in the context of geoastronomy. Happy reading!

Seven new articles this week. In astrobiology, we have a preprint on phosphine production on Venus (Bains), a review of key observations and outstanding questions on Mars exploration (Changela) and a report of deposits suggesting fleeting water on Mars (Koeppel). In biochemistry, Closs presents a class of organocatalysts potentially capable of forming an evolutionary system, Ianeselli discusses how gas bubbles in rock pores could have been a nursery for life on early Earth and Piedrafita analyzes how cysteine and iron could have facilitated the first evolving metabolic networks. Finally, in planetary sciences Wade investigates planetary how iron can influence planetary habitability and initiation of biochemistry from geochemistry. Happy reading!

Several articles published in astrobiology this week, and one in planetary science. Articles in astrobiology include the (non-)detection of sulphur species in the Martian atmosphere (Braude), a study of cis-trans isomerization reactions of two astrophysically relevant acids (García De La Concepción), an investigation of biologically relevant abiotic extraterrestrial soluble organic matter (Isa), of the upper limits on TRAPPIST-1 planets bombardment histories (Raymond), a deep learning classifier for exoplanets (Valizadegan), derivation of a new formula to estimate the opening angle of a planet within the context of JWST (Wardenier) and the first full K2 transiting exoplanet sample (Zink). In planetary science, Dick discusses protein synthesis as an energy-releasing process in seawater-hydrothermal fluid mixtures. Happy reading !

Four new astrobiology papers: effects of flares on M-earths habitability (Bogner), false positives for biosignatures on Mars (McMahon), effects of clouds on CH$_4$-CO$_2$ detection with JWST (Mikal-Evans) and a technosignature signal from Proxima Centauri (Smith). In biochemistry, Vincent discusses the prebiotic soup ingredients, in bioinformatics Okauchi examines cell-free replication and evolution and in planetary science Villafañe-Barajas analyzes the relevance of dynamic systems in hydrothermal vent systems.

Four new papers and one book preprint this week in astronomy/astrobiology and biochemistry. Astronomy/astrobiology: Bains summarizes the Venusian PH$_3$ discovery and its scientific debate, Byrne introduces a new predicted exoplanet category with a brittle outer layer, Cockell discusses the implications of binary/continuous habitability metrics, and the National Academies of Sciences announces a preprint of their Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s that identifies science goals for the next decade. Biochemistry: Cesur discusses microbial growth in deliquescent brines and its implication as a contamination to Mars.

Several papers this week from astrobiology, biochemistry and geophysics. Astrobiology: Cheng examines salt sediments in a Mars analogue environment in China, Jarugula reports the detection of H$_2$O in a galaxy at $z=6.9$, Millan reports the detection of organic molecules on Mars by Curiosity, and Patapis examines the feasibility of applying molecular mapping of directly imaged exoplanets to JWST’s Medium Resolution Spectrometer. Biochemistry: Jamy analyzes the rate of habitat transition in eukaryotes, Mayer the transamination between biological keto and amino acids through metal ions, and McMullen discusses how colloids can self-organize into predetermined structures. Geophysics: Drake presents a thermochronological perspective on the habitability of Earth’s Precambrian cratons through time, Pohl explores the Late Ordovician mass extinction, and Putman examines the roles that both selection and dispersal limitation play in terrestrial serpentinites.

In this week’s digest, we have papers published in both astrobiology and biochemistry – plus I’ve included a podcast of the Santa Fe Institute. In astrobiology, Dorn presents an interior model for water-rich rocky exoplanets, Green discusses best practices for communicating about life detection, Hu discusses observables to discriminate small H$_2$ atmospheres and massive ones on sub-Neptunes (with implications for habitability) using JWST, and Grefenstette discusses the different strategies for finding life in space. In biochemistry, Cowan discusses the origin of chirality from the viewpoint of the RNA world hypothesis, Sharma reviews prebiotic chemical reaction networks modelling tools, and Takeuchi discusses the balance between within- and among-collectives in population genetics models. Happy reading!

Multiple papers published on the OoL again this week. Astrobiology: Cockell discusses the concept of (microbiological) habitability in a first article, and of Venusian clouds habitability in a second article, Goodwin compares biosignatures from dolomitic stromatolites to that of possible carbonate outcrops on Mars, and Rodriguez presents the science goals for the POSEIDON mission concept that would perform in situ investigations of Titan. Biochemistry: Criado-Reyes investigates the role of the borosilicate flasks themselves in Miller-Urey type experiments, Kahana discusses catalytic micelles as protocell precursors, and Schavemaker argues that enkaryotes diversification was contingent upon the origin of mitochondria.