Vanessa Helmbrecht
@sciencewithvanessa.bsky.social
PhD student working on the emergence of life in hydrothermal environments on Earth and Enceladus - LMU Munich // Landscape photographer // Firefighter
Reposted by Vanessa Helmbrecht
Want to dive deeper?
Read the complete study by researchers from @lmumuenchen.bsky.social and @uniregensburg.bsky.social
📄 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
🧠 Let us know what you think!
(5/5)
Read the complete study by researchers from @lmumuenchen.bsky.social and @uniregensburg.bsky.social
📄 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
🧠 Let us know what you think!
(5/5)
Simulated early Earth geochemistry fuels a hydrogen-dependent primordial metabolism - Nature Ecology & Evolution
In an iron-sulfide chemical garden experiment that mimics the kind of hydrothermal vents that might have occurred in the early Archaean, mackinawite and greigite are precipitated and abiotic H2 is pro...
doi.org
May 20, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Want to dive deeper?
Read the complete study by researchers from @lmumuenchen.bsky.social and @uniregensburg.bsky.social
📄 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
🧠 Let us know what you think!
(5/5)
Read the complete study by researchers from @lmumuenchen.bsky.social and @uniregensburg.bsky.social
📄 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
🧠 Let us know what you think!
(5/5)
Reposted by Vanessa Helmbrecht
Light and Fluorescence Microscopy revealed that the archaea gathered near the chimney particles. Surprisingly, growth rates in the chemical gardens, where the archaea received no additional nutrients or vitamins, nearly matched those in ideal lab conditions.
(4/5)
(4/5)
May 20, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Light and Fluorescence Microscopy revealed that the archaea gathered near the chimney particles. Surprisingly, growth rates in the chemical gardens, where the archaea received no additional nutrients or vitamins, nearly matched those in ideal lab conditions.
(4/5)
(4/5)
Reposted by Vanessa Helmbrecht
The archaea used the H₂, which was abiotically formed during the formation of the chimneys, to produce methane. This process is powered by the ancient acetyl-CoA pathway — a metabolism so efficient it’s been called “a free lunch you’re paid to eat.”
(3/5)
(3/5)
May 20, 2025 at 9:32 AM
The archaea used the H₂, which was abiotically formed during the formation of the chimneys, to produce methane. This process is powered by the ancient acetyl-CoA pathway — a metabolism so efficient it’s been called “a free lunch you’re paid to eat.”
(3/5)
(3/5)
Reposted by Vanessa Helmbrecht
To investigate this, researchers recreated early Earth conditions. Since many modern archaea inhabit hydrothermal vents, they built mini versions using a method called chemical garden simulation: injecting sulfidic fluid into a ferruginous solution to form small black iron-sulfide chimneys.
(2/5)
(2/5)
May 20, 2025 at 9:32 AM
To investigate this, researchers recreated early Earth conditions. Since many modern archaea inhabit hydrothermal vents, they built mini versions using a method called chemical garden simulation: injecting sulfidic fluid into a ferruginous solution to form small black iron-sulfide chimneys.
(2/5)
(2/5)
Reposted by Vanessa Helmbrecht
Emancipated Archaea 🦠
Nowadays, H₂-dependent archaea rely on partnerships with organisms that produce hydrogen. But on early Earth, when life began, archaea were probably on their own. So, where did they get the H₂ from? Let’s dig into the science.
#Science #OriginOfLife
(1/5)
Nowadays, H₂-dependent archaea rely on partnerships with organisms that produce hydrogen. But on early Earth, when life began, archaea were probably on their own. So, where did they get the H₂ from? Let’s dig into the science.
#Science #OriginOfLife
(1/5)
May 20, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Emancipated Archaea 🦠
Nowadays, H₂-dependent archaea rely on partnerships with organisms that produce hydrogen. But on early Earth, when life began, archaea were probably on their own. So, where did they get the H₂ from? Let’s dig into the science.
#Science #OriginOfLife
(1/5)
Nowadays, H₂-dependent archaea rely on partnerships with organisms that produce hydrogen. But on early Earth, when life began, archaea were probably on their own. So, where did they get the H₂ from? Let’s dig into the science.
#Science #OriginOfLife
(1/5)
Reposted by Vanessa Helmbrecht
So proud of my lab mates!
"We demonstrate that H2 from iron-sulfide precipitation under simulated early Earth hydrothermal geochemistry fuels a H2-dependent primordial metabolism."
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
"We demonstrate that H2 from iron-sulfide precipitation under simulated early Earth hydrothermal geochemistry fuels a H2-dependent primordial metabolism."
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Simulated early Earth geochemistry fuels a hydrogen-dependent primordial metabolism - Nature Ecology & Evolution
In an iron-sulfide chemical garden experiment that mimics the kind of hydrothermal vents that might have occurred in the early Archaean, mackinawite and greigite are precipitated and abiotic H2 is pro...
www.nature.com
April 30, 2025 at 11:16 AM
So proud of my lab mates!
"We demonstrate that H2 from iron-sulfide precipitation under simulated early Earth hydrothermal geochemistry fuels a H2-dependent primordial metabolism."
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
"We demonstrate that H2 from iron-sulfide precipitation under simulated early Earth hydrothermal geochemistry fuels a H2-dependent primordial metabolism."
www.nature.com/articles/s41...