Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mickael Baque, Theresa Backhaus, Joachim Meessen, Franziska Hanke, Ute Boettger, Nisha Ramkissoon, Karen Olsson-Francis, Michael Baumgartner, Daniela Billi, Alessia Cassaro, Rosa de la Torre Noetzel, Rene Demets, Howell Edwards, Pascale Ehrenfreund, Andreas Elsaesser, Bernard Foing, Frederic Foucher, Bjorn Huwe, Jasmin Joshi, Natalia Kozyrovska, Peter Lasch, Natuschka Lee, Stefan Leuko, Silvano Onofri, Sieglinde Ott, Claudia Pacelli, Elke Rabbow, Lynn Rothschild, Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Laura Selbmann, Paloma Serrano, Ulrich Szewzyk, Cyprien Verseux, Dirk Wagner, Frances Westall, Laura Zucconi, Jean-Pierre P. de Vera
Summary: Two rover missions to Mars aim to detect biomolecules as evidence of past or present life. However, the stability of Raman-detectable biomolecules in the martian environment is still uncertain. To investigate this, seven biomolecules were exposed to a simulated martian environment for 469 days. Ultraviolet radiation had a significant impact on Raman spectra, but little change was observed when samples were shielded from UV. These findings support Mars missions searching for biosignatures underground and lay the foundation for a consolidated space-proven database of spectroscopy biosignatures in targeted environments.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alberto G. Fairen, Nuria Rodriguez, Laura Sanchez-Garcia, Patricia Rojas, Esther R. Uceda, Daniel Carrizo, Ricardo Amils, Jose L. Sanz
Summary: Tirez, a small lagoon in central Spain, has dried out completely, allowing for the study of its desiccation process as an analog to similar events on early Mars. This research examines the microbial ecology of Tirez when it was active 20 years ago, the composition of the microbial community in the dried lake sediments today, and the analysis of lipid biomarkers recovered from the sediments. The findings have implications for understanding Martian microbial communities during the wet-to-dry transition and can inform research strategies to search for possible biomarkers on Mars.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Allan H. Treiman
Summary: The martian meteorite ALH 84001, formed around 4.0 Ga, may contain information about habitability on early Mars but lacks evidence of ancient martian life. It provides evidence for three distinct episodes of potentially habitable environments, including interactions with liquid water and carbonate deposition.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
J. D. Tarnas, J. F. Mustard, B. Sherwood Lollar, V. Stamenkovic, K. M. Cannon, J. -P. Lorand, T. C. Onstott, J. R. Michalski, O. Warr, A. M. Palumbo, A. -C. Plesa
Summary: In deep continental subsurface of Earth, the energy released by radionuclides drives metabolisms of non-photosynthetic microorganisms in isolated groundwaters for millions to billions of years. This process could also support past and present life in the martian subsurface, specifically sulfate-reducing microorganisms. Radiolysis alone produces enough redox energy to sustain a habitable environment in the subsurface of present-day Mars, where Earth-like microorganisms could survive wherever groundwater exists. The source localities for many martian meteorites are capable of producing sufficient redox nutrients to sustain up to millions of sulfate-reducing microbial cells per kilogram rock via radiolysis alone, demonstrating habitability for sulfate-reducing bacteria in martian subsurface groundwaters.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alessandro Napoli, Diego Micheletti, Massimo Pindo, Simone Larger, Alessandro Cestaro, Jean-Pierre De Vera, Daniela Billi
Summary: In this study, the repair capability of a desert cyanobacterium under Mars-like conditions was investigated, and no increased genetic variations were observed in the space-derivate compared to the reference strain. This research advances the use of cyanobacteria-based technologies in supporting human space exploration.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Manasvi Lingam, Jacob Haqq-Misra, Jason T. Wright, Macy J. Huston, Adam Frank, Ravi Kopparapu
Summary: In view of the advancements in technosignature science, it is crucial to determine what constitutes a reliable technosignature. Using a Bayesian framework and alternative metrics from diagnostic testing, this paper demonstrates that ideal technosignatures should have low false positive risk and high prior probability of existence. The study applies these models to specific technosignature candidates and finds that artificial electromagnetic signals, chlorofluorocarbons, and artifacts perform well. It emphasizes the importance of identifying suitable approaches to further evaluate technosignature candidates.
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
M. M. Weng, E. Zaikova, M. Millan, A. J. Williams, A. C. McAdam, C. A. Knudson, S. R. Fuqua, N. Y. Wagner, K. Craft, S. Kobs Nawotniak, A. Shields, J. Bevilacqua, Y. Bai, S. S. Hughes, W. B. Garry, J. L. Heldmann, D. S. S. Lim, D. Buckner, P. Gant, S. S. Johnson
Summary: Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve serves as an important terrestrial analog for lava tubes on Mars, providing insights into interactions between water, rock, and life. It has been discovered that the caves within the monument contain diverse and active microbial communities, supporting mainly heterotrophic life strategies with contributions from chemolithoautotrophs. Detection of these microbial communities can be achieved using flight-capable pyrolysis and wet chemistry gas chromatography-mass spectrometry methods.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Tawni Bull, Arjun Khakhar
Summary: Synthetic control systems have advanced the study and engineering of unicellular organisms, but applying these tools to multicellular organisms like plants has been challenging. Predictable engineering of plants can help alleviate global problems.
PLANT CELL REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marc-Sven Roell, Lennart Schada von Borzyskowski, Philipp Westhoff, Anastasija Plett, Nicole Paczia, Peter Claus, Urte Schlueter, Tobias J. Erb, Andreas P. M. Weber
Summary: Plants rely on Rubisco for CO2 fixation, but the toxic byproduct 2-phosphoglycolate from Rubisco causes reduced photosynthetic yield in C3 plants, leading to energy-consuming photorespiration. By introducing the BHAC pathway to convert photorespiration metabolites into oxaloacetate, plants can bypass photorespiration in a highly efficient and resource-conserving manner to potentially enhance growth and yield.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Jia-Jian Zhao, Yi-Fan Zhang, Tian-Lei Zhao, Han Li, Qi-Zhi Yao, Sheng-Quan Fu, Gen-Tao Zhou
Summary: One of the objectives in the exploration of Mars is to determine if the planet has ever hosted life. Biogenic compounds, particularly biominerals, are believed to be biomarkers in Raman-assisted remote sensing missions. This study successfully achieved tetragonal bipyramidal weddellite, a type of calcium oxalate, through UV-photolysis of pyruvic acid. The formation of calcium oxalate by the photolysis of abiological organic compounds may provide a new abiotic pathway and needs to be considered in astrobiological investigations.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Nathalie Turenne, Sahejpal Sidhu, Daniel M. Applin, Edward A. Cloutis, Z. U. Wolf, Stanley A. Mertzman, Elisabeth M. Hausrath, Teresa Fornaro, Adrian Brown
Summary: The spectral reflectance properties of nontronite were studied under simulated Mars surface conditions, as well as after heating to different temperatures. The data obtained provides insights into the conditions nontronite may have experienced on the Martian surface. Nontronite exhibits unique spectral features, including absorption bands associated with Fe3+, H2O/OH, and Fe-OH. Heating in a low-pressure CO2 environment leads to the loss of Fe-OH features, while both OH and H2O gradually decrease with increasing temperature. The absorption features associated with nontronite can be used to infer its history and conditions it was exposed to. Dehydration and dehydroxylation can occur at temperatures below 300 degrees C.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pooja Kasiviswanathan, Elizabeth D. Swanner, Larry J. Halverson, Paramasivan Vijayapalani
Summary: A fundamental challenge in human missions to Mars is how to efficiently produce consumable foods using the available resources on Mars. Researchers have found that by treating basaltic regolith simulant soil and briny water simulant, it is possible to enhance the nutrient content in Mars soil and desalinate water for growing plants. This study demonstrates the possibility of growing food crops on Mars using treated soil and biodesalinated water.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dipinte Gupta, Gauri Sharma, Pooja Saraswat, Rajiv Ranjan
Summary: The recent expansion of knowledge in various disciplines has led to the emergence of interdisciplinary fields, including Synthetic Biology (SynBio), which integrates concepts from biology, chemistry, electrical engineering, and computer science to rewire natural biological pathways through genetic circuits. This has resulted in innovative applications in molecular medicines, pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and crop improvement, mainly utilizing prokaryotic systems but showing growth potential in eukaryotic systems.
MOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Michael T. Mellon, Hanna G. Sizemore, Jennifer L. Heldmann, Christopher P. McKay, Carol R. Stoker
Summary: The search for life is a major focus of Mars exploration, with temperature and water activity being key factors for habitability. The most recent habitable conditions occurred about 510 kyrs ago and lasted for about 10s of kyrs each occurrence. All latitudes offer potential for life exploration, but middle-latitude sites have access to 100-kyr-old ice that experienced past habitable conditions, while high-latitude sites offer access to ancient ice over 1 Myrs old.
Article
Microbiology
Aristoteles Goes-Neto, Olga Kukharenko, Iryna Orlovska, Olga Podolich, Madangchanok Imchen, Ranjith Kumavath, Rodrigo Bentes Kato, Daniel Santana de Carvalho, Sandeep Tiwari, Bertram Brenig, Vasco Azevedo, Oleg Reva, Jean-Pierre P. de Vera, Natalia Kozyrovska, Debmalya Barh
Summary: The study found that exposure to conditions similar to space/Mars may disrupt the structure of KMC, but core microorganisms are maintained, and community functions do not significantly change, indicating the ecological resilience of KMC.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hangrui Liu, Xin Xu, Kai Peng, Yuxin Zhang, Lianmei Jiang, Thomas C. Williams, Ian T. Paulsen, James A. Piper, Ming Li
Summary: Yeast has been engineered for cost-effective organic acid production through metabolic engineering and synthetic biology techniques. The use of monodisperse picolitre droplets as bioreactors allows cultivation of yeast at the single-cell level, providing insights into cell-to-cell variations. This approach has the potential to be applied for engineering yeast to produce value-added bioproducts.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Trine B. Andersen, Briardo Llorente, Luca Morelli, Salvador Torres-Montilla, Guillermo Bordanaba-Florit, Fausto A. Espinosa, Maria Rosa Rodriguez-Goberna, Narciso Campos, Begona Olmedilla-Alonso, Manuel J. Llansola-Portoles, Andrew A. Pascal, Manuel Rodriguez-Concepcion
Summary: Engineering carotenoid biosynthesis outside the chloroplast can boost carotenoid levels in leaves and enhance antioxidant capacity, with the potential for biofortification of leafy vegetables like lettuce.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thomas A. Dixon, Thomas C. Williams, Isak S. Pretorius
Summary: Synthetic biology practices are now integrated into 'multiscale' designs, facilitating two-way communication between organic and inorganic information substrates in biological, digital, and cyber-physical system integrations. Novel applications of bio-informational engineering will emerge in environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, precision medicine, and next-generation biomanufacturing.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ignacio Belda, Thomas C. Williams, Miguel de Celis, Ian T. Paulsen, Isak S. Pretorius
Summary: Synthetic metagenomics has the potential to reveal the complexity of microbial ecosystems by showing the simplicity of microbial communities captured in a single cell. Conceptually, a yeast cell carrying a representative synthetic metagenome could uncover the complexity of interactions between multiple species, as illustrated here with wine ferments.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Thomas A. Dixon, Thomas C. Williams, Isak S. Pretorius
Summary: The article explores the opportunities for collaborative innovation networks in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, focusing on the convergence of biosciences, information sciences, and bioengineering. It highlights the potential of bioinformational engineering in future-proofing the grape and wine industry against global blights and climate change.
TRENDS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Genetics & Heredity
Patrick A. da Roza, Hugh D. Goold, Ian T. Paulsen
TRENDS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Briardo Llorente, Maria Eugenia Segretin, Estefania Giannini, Celina Lobais, Marcelo E. Juarez, Ian T. Paulsen, Nicolas E. Blanco
Summary: Developing more productive and sustainable crops is crucial for achieving food security in the future. One proposed approach is to reverse the transfer of chloroplast-encoded genes to the nuclear genome to improve plant disease resistance and photosynthesis in future crops.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Correction
Plant Sciences
M. Aguila Ruiz-Sola, M. Victoria Barja, David Manzano, Briardo Llorente, Bert Schipper, Jules Beekwilder, Manuel Rodriguez-Concepcion
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dariusz R. Kutyna, Cristobal A. Onetto, Thomas C. Williams, Hugh D. Goold, Ian T. Paulsen, Isak S. Pretorius, Daniel L. Johnson, Anthony R. Borneman
Summary: The Synthetic Yeast Genome Project (Sc2.0) aims to design and build the next generation of industrial microbes. To address the lack of phenotypic diversity in the laboratory strain, researchers created a new chromosome containing diverse pan-genomic elements. This provides phenotypic plasticity to the Sc2.0 parent strain and expands its range of applicable carbon sources.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Philip A. Kelso, Louise K. M. Chow, Alex C. Carpenter, Ian T. Paulsen, Thomas C. Williams
Summary: The global expansion of biomanufacturing is limited by the availability of sugar-based microbial feedstocks. One-carbon feedstocks, such as methanol, present an enticing alternative. This review discusses progress in the field of synthetic methylotrophy with a focus on the industrial yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Briardo Llorente, Thomas C. Williams, Hugh D. Goold, Isak S. Pretorius, Ian T. Paulsen
Summary: Human enterprises in space require addressing the challenge of maintaining a healthy diet during long-duration voyages and habitation. By consolidating multiple sensory and nutritional attributes into microorganisms, customizable food production systems with minimal resources, space, and waste can be developed. Bioengineered microbial-based food, such as a yeast collection bioengineered for optimal nutrition and diverse attributes, has the potential to support human space exploration and revolutionize Earth's food manufacturing, promoting self-sufficiency and reducing pressure on natural ecosystems.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xin Xu, Felix Meier, Benjamin A. Blount, Isak S. Pretorius, Tom Ellis, Ian T. Paulsen, Thomas C. Williams
Summary: This review explores the potential of genome minimization and re-functionalization approaches for industrial applications, highlighting the advantages of minimal genomes in terms of engineerability and biosynthetic capacity.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
