![Scientists have shifted the search for extraterrestrial life to include purple bacteria, suggesting that these organisms...](https://img4.medioq.com/844/241/346246038442419.jpg)
17/04/2024
Scientists have shifted the search for extraterrestrial life to include purple bacteria, suggesting that these organisms could be prevalent on exoplanets, especially those orbiting M-type stars. Traditional green landscapes, associated with oxygenic photosynthesis, are now complemented by models showing purple bacteria dominating exoplanetary surfaces. This broadens potential biosignatures detectable with upcoming powerful telescopes. By expanding our understanding of life-supporting conditions to encompass anoxic environments and different light spectra, researchers enhance our ability to detect and understand diverse life forms across the universe, potentially identifying new, habitable worlds marked by their distinctive purple hue.
Scientists have shifted the search for extraterrestrial life to include purple bacteria, suggesting that these organisms could be prevalent on exoplan...