The Planetary Science blog gathered the best reports on yesterdays news of arsenic being used as a basic component of a bacterium [right SEM photomicrograph of arsenic bearing bacterium. Credit, Science Express], based on recommendations from people who actually read the scientific paper (co-authored by a trio of ASU scientists). Here they are:
- From Paul Gilster at Centauri Dreams: Arsenic and Odd Life;
- from Alla Katsnelson at Nature News: Arsenic-eating microbe may redefine chemistry of life;
- there are three of the Discover blogs with recommended entries, including: Carl Zimmer at The Loom: Of Arsenic and Aliens;
- Phil Plait at Bad Astronomy: NASA's real news: bacterium on Earth that lives off arsenic! ;
- and Ed Yong at Not Exactly Rocket Science: Mono Lake bacteria build their DNA using arsenic;
- and, to finish with a bit of levity, visit Randall Munroe's xkcd: Arsenic-Based Life