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November 3, 2025

OoL digest — November 3

This week we have 27 new papers on the origin of life. Enjoy!


Astrobiology

Microclimate governs the morphology of sediment flows on Mars
Adler et al. — Communications Earth & Environment

A Computer Vision Framework for Estimating Surface Habitability from Mars Using Convolutional Analysis
Avva et al. — preprint

Communicating Discoveries in the Search for Life in the Universe Workshop Report
Bimm et al. — Astrobiology

New Analytical Methodology to Reveal Biosignatures on Mars and Ocean Worlds
Boulesteix et al. — Analytical Chemistry

A Less Terrifying Universe? Mundanity as an Explanation for the Fermi Paradox
Corbet — preprint


Astrochemistry

Pristine ices in a planet-forming disk revealed by heavy water
Leemker et al. — Nature Astronomy

How to understand exoplanets — space scientists call on lab-based chemists to help
Winiberg et al. — Nature

The Molecular Inventory of TMC-1 with GOTHAM Observations
Xue et al. — The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series


Biochemistry

A Recipe to Evolve Complex Life Chemically on Earth
Lei et al. — Genes

Selection for photocatalytic function through Darwinian evolution of synthetic self-replicators
Liu et al. — Nature Catalysis

Differential stability and dynamics of DNA-based and RNA-based coacervates affect non-enzymatic RNA chemistry
Nakashima et al. — Nature Communications


Biology

Extreme triple oxygen isotope fractionation in Equisetum
Sharp et al. — Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences


Biophysics

Dual-Field Interference as a Common Biomechanical Origin of Cell Division, Differentiation, and Aging
Bueno — preprint

Self-organization, Memory and Learning: From Driven Disordered Systems to Living Matter
Mungan et al. — preprint


Chemistry

Reduction of NAD and NMN on mineral surfaces with H2 reveals a functional role for the AMP moiety in a prebiotic context
Henriques Pereira et al. — Communications Chemistry


Microbiology

How many and which types of primary cells (domains of life) emerged from LUCA, identified employing different genetic codes
Di Giulio — BioSystems

Spatiotemporal Impacts of Enceladus- and Earth-relevant Ammonia Gas On Cultivation of Extremophile Halomonas meridiana
Hopton et al. — Microbial Ecology

Microbial resilience in space: Biofilms, risks and strategies for space exploration
Ravichandran et al. — Life Sciences in Space Research

Current understanding of electroautotrophy and its relevance in astrobiology‐related research
Wang et al. — mLife


Planetary Sciences

From Underground Oceans to Continents: A Glimpse into the Water Inventory on Rocky Planets using Host Star Abundances
Boley et al. — preprint

Oxygen isotopic evidence that Gale crater, Mars, was home to an Early Hesperian water reservoir that underwent significant evaporation
Hofmann et al. — Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Building wet planets through high-pressure magma–hydrogen reactions
Horn et al. — Nature

Mid-Proterozoic expansion of passive margins and reduction in volcanic outgassing supported marine oxygenation and eukaryogenesis
Müller et al. — Earth and Planetary Science Letters

Water-group ion irradiation studies of Enceladus ice analogues: Can radiolysis account for material in and around the south polar plume?
Richards et al. — Planetary and Space Science

To make water, exoplanets might just need some pressure
Williams — Nature

How does ice shell geometry shape ocean dynamics on icy moons?
Zhang et al. — preprint

Orbitally-Driven Nutrient Pulses Linked to Early Cambrian Periodic Oxygenation and Animal Radiation
Zhang et al. — Geophysical Research Letters

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