Arsenic based microorganisms

This expands the potential number of planets that could sustain a form of life by a huge amount.

 

Still carbon based, but if I read it correctly, the DNA is entirely different. Arsenic instead of phosphorous? That is wicked cool. Makes me wonder if it is even terrestrial in origin.

 

Non carbon based life forms found by NASA

I don't think that is quite what was found. The organisms are definitely carbon based. What the researchers found was that the microbes could use arsenic in lieu of most, but not all phosphorus. It is a "simple" substitution, as phosphorus and arsenic are in the same group. It seemed like the news release had a lot of hype, maybe it is grant renewal time. I would say it is somewhat similar to finding organisms that can use sulfur, as opposed to oxygen, as the terminal electron acceptor in metabolism. Kerosene metabolizing organisms, Methanobacteria, Thermophilus, and so forth all expanded our view of microbial life.

Nevertheless, the finding is still extremely interesting, and I look forward to reading the structural studies that determined exactly where the arsenic went.

What will really be interesting is if a lead utilizing or germanium-based organism, as opposed to carbon, is found. I will bet neither exists. Although elements may be in the same group and have similarities in chemistry, there are vast differences between the 2nd row elements (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen) and 3rd row elements (silicon, phosphorus, and sulfur). In other words, going to arsenic from phosphorus is less of a chemical jump in terms of the stable compounds that can be formed than is going from carbon to silicon or from nitrogen to phosphorus.

John

 

I It seemed like the news release had a lot of hype, maybe it is grant renewal time.

Pretty much that. The .gov had big plans to cut/gut NASA on funding Severely.

 

This is all I wish I had to say: