2209001, Dr Alberto Perez-Huerta research
By University of Alabama
Using a powerful microscope, researchers at the University of Alabama have determined a method that can provide powerful data in determining the origin of life on Earth and whether life existed on other planets.
Led by UA geologists specializing in using high-powered microscopes on biological material, researchers proved trace elements of early microbial life can be found in rocks and minerals, which could help in determining when life began on Earth, according to findings published in Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.
Certain bacteria create crystals, but it can be hard to decide whether an ancient tiny crystal in a rock was made by bacteria or through inorganic mineral formation. Using atom probe tomography in a study led by Alberto Perez-Huerta, UA professor of geological sciences, researchers showed they can identify the nanoscale chemical imprints left by the bacteria that differentiate the crystals from those formed in a geological process.
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