By Sarah Treadwell – BMSIS Science Writer The astrobiology world was buzzing last year when a study was released stating levels of phosphine had been detected in the cloud decks of Venus. While this study was subjected to the full scrutiny of the scientific method since published, it opened a flood gate of interest in taking a closer look at the potential for life on Earth’s deadly twin planet. NASA selected Davinci+ (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, […]

By Sarah Treadwell – BMSIS Science Writer Author and aquanaut, Alan A. Allen has worked in an office which few others can say they ever had. If we are ever lucky enough to have a window in our office, we rejoice. Allen’s office view was more than a window, it was the ocean floor. During the 60’s and 70’s, Alan conducted research with NOAA (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) studying the effects of oil spills on marine life. Using […]

By Daniel Runyan What is the origin of life? This question can loosely sum up what Dr. Jim Cleaves has been so devoted to studying for most of his scientific career. When he learned that the origins of life itself was a valid field of study, he just knew that he had to focus his research on that question. The evolution of molecules and the boundary of where the inorganic becomes organic are exactly the kind of problems that led […]

A story by Chirantan Ganguly & Mahima Banerjee It was a bright Sunday morning during New Year’s week and Dr. Marcus Xavier was home after almost 2 months. Dr. Xavier’s son Quinn, a 14-year-old intelligent and dutiful boy, is a senior in middle school. He always had a knack for the sciences and he is particularly fond of studying Physics in his school. Quinn’s love for the sciences was instilled in him by his dad from a very young age. […]

By Fernanda Jamel The arrival of the rover, Perseverance, on Mars carried with it many expectations for the potential detection of life beyond Earth. The rover, which arrived on the red planet on 18 February 2021, contains specific instruments for identifying and characterizing organic compounds and minerals of astrobiological interest. Altogether there are seven payloads (or scientific instruments). Some of them are the ones that interest us for the detection of mineral biosignatures, such as the SuperCam, which has a […]