GFAJ-1, a New Form of Life Made of Arsenic, Crawls out of Primeval Lake

‘NASA-funded astrobiology research has changed the fundamental knowledge about what comprises all known life on Earth. Researchers conducting tests in the harsh environment of Mono Lake in California have discovered the first known microorganism on Earth able to thrive and reproduce using the toxic chemical arsenic. The microorganism substitutes arsenic for phosphorus in its cell components. “The definition of life has just expanded,” said Ed Weiler, NASA’s associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington.’
– Read the full story on the NASA website.
Research article abstract on sciencemag.org.

barry
Barry Kavanagh writes fiction, and has made music, formerly with Dacianos.

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