Solar energy conversion by photosystem II: principles and structures

D Shevela, JF Kern, G Govindjee, J Messinger - Photosynthesis Research, 2023 - Springer
Photosynthetic water oxidation by Photosystem II (PSII) is a fascinating process because it
sustains life on Earth and serves as a blue print for scalable synthetic catalysts required for …

Cyanobacterial blooms

J Huisman, GA Codd, HW Paerl, BW Ibelings… - Nature Reviews …, 2018 - nature.com
Cyanobacteria can form dense and sometimes toxic blooms in freshwater and marine
environments, which threaten ecosystem functioning and degrade water quality for …

The nature of the last universal common ancestor and its impact on the early Earth system

ERR Moody, S Álvarez-Carretero… - Nature Ecology & …, 2024 - nature.com
The nature of the last universal common ancestor (LUCA), its age and its impact on the Earth
system have been the subject of vigorous debate across diverse disciplines, often based on …

On the roles of function and selection in evolving systems

ML Wong, CE Cleland, D Arend Jr, S Bartlett… - Proceedings of the …, 2023 - pnas.org
Physical laws—such as the laws of motion, gravity, electromagnetism, and thermodynamics—
codify the general behavior of varied macroscopic natural systems across space and time …

The archean atmosphere

DC Catling, KJ Zahnle - Science advances, 2020 - science.org
The atmosphere of the Archean eon—one-third of Earth's history—is important for
understanding the evolution of our planet and Earth-like exoplanets. New geological proxies …

Evolution of increased complexity and specificity at the dawn of form I Rubiscos

L Schulz, Z Guo, J Zarzycki, W Steinchen, JM Schuller… - Science, 2022 - science.org
The evolution of ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenases (Rubiscos) that
discriminate strongly between their substrate carbon dioxide and the undesired side …

Exoplanet biosignatures: a review of remotely detectable signs of life

EW Schwieterman, NY Kiang, MN Parenteau… - Astrobiology, 2018 - liebertpub.com
In the coming years and decades, advanced space-and ground-based observatories will
allow an unprecedented opportunity to probe the atmospheres and surfaces of potentially …

Eukaryogenesis and oxygen in Earth history

DB Mills, RA Boyle, SJ Daines, EA Sperling… - Nature ecology & …, 2022 - nature.com
The endosymbiotic origin of mitochondria during eukaryogenesis has long been viewed as
an adaptive response to the oxygenation of Earth's surface environment, presuming a …

Mineral-bound trace metals as cofactors for anaerobic biological nitrogen fixation

Y Sheng, O Baars, D Guo, J Whitham… - Environmental …, 2023 - ACS Publications
Nitrogenase is the only known biological enzyme capable of reducing N2 to bioavailable
NH3. Most nitrogenases use Mo as a metallocofactor, while alternative cofactors V and Fe …

The geologic history of primary productivity

PW Crockford, YMB On, LM Ward, R Milo, I Halevy - Current Biology, 2023 - cell.com
The rate of primary productivity is a keystone variable in driving biogeochemical cycles
today and has been throughout Earth's past. 1 For example, it plays a critical role in …