Origins of Life

Researchers have reconstructed a nitrogen-fixing enzyme from more than three billion years ago using synthetic biology. The work offers new insights into how life evolved on early Earth and could inform searches for life elsewhere in the universe.

April 04, 2026 Reported by AI

Scientists suggest that asteroid impacts created hot, chemical-rich environments that could have kick-started life on Earth. A new review led by recent Rutgers graduate Shea Cinquemani highlights impact-generated hydrothermal systems as potential cradles for life's building blocks. These systems may have persisted for thousands of years, providing ideal conditions for early biology.