Spacecraft are assembled in specialized “cleanrooms” that are designed to avoid contamination from dust and microorganisms. But bacteria called extremophiles have genetic components that allow them to ...

Purple bacteria use infrared light for photosynthesis, offering a way to detect life on other planets through unique infrared signatures. With the penny going away, what should you do with the ones in ...

The search for life beyond Earth requires expanding the very definition of what life can be. Some exoplanets, especially those orbiting cooler red dwarfs, might host purple plant life rather than the ...