Mineral–microbe interactions play important roles in environmental change, biogeochemical
cycling of elements and formation of ore deposits. Minerals provide both beneficial (physical …

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 …

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 …

The ancestors of cyanobacteria generated Earth's first biogenic molecular oxygen, but how
they dealt with oxidative stress remains unconstrained. Here we investigate when …

Abstract The Archean era (4 to 2.5 billion years ago, Ga) yielded rocks that include the
oldest conclusive traces of life as well as many controversial occurrences. Carbonaceous …

For the first four billion years of Earth's history, climate was marked by apparent stability and
warmth despite the Sun having lower luminosity. Proposed mechanisms for maintaining an …

Microbial ecology is the study of interactions among microbes in natural environments and
their roles in biogeochemical cycles, food web dynamics, and the evolution of life. Microbes …

Water plays a critical role in erosion and sediment transport and this relationship is most
evident in the hyperarid Atacama Desert of Northern Chile, a region characterized by …

Earth's surface has undergone a protracted oxygenation, which is commonly assumed to
have profoundly affected the biosphere. However, basic aspects of this history are still …

Oxygenic photosynthesis is arguably the most important biological innovation in Earth's
history, facilitating the transition to a habitable planet for complex life. Dating the emergence …