The Secret of How Cells Make ‘Dark Oxygen’ Without Light
In some subterranean aquifers, cells have a chemical trick for making oxygen. It offers new insight into how life survives deep underground on Earth—and where it might lurk in space.
How a Microbial Evolutionary Accident Changed Earth’s Atmosphere
An extra membrane that once had digestive functions let marine microbes boost their yield from photosynthesis. Today, they’re responsible for locking carbon in the ocean and putting oxygen in the air.