The new study provides a survey of methods to resurrect ancient enzymes that could provide insight into Earth’s ancient biogeochemistry. Such techniques can be used alongside the reconstruction of ancient genetic sequences to better understand the properties of enzymes that functioned on Earth billions of years ago. The successes and pitfalls of enzyme resurrection studies are discussed, and the results from a study focused on the Great Oxidation Event are outlined. This study provides a constructive example of a biogeochemical transition in Earth’s history that had a profound effect on the evolution of the biosphere.

The study, “How to resurrect ancestral proteins as proxies for ancient biogeochemistry,” was published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine. The work was supported by NASA Astrobiology through the Exobiology Program.

Additional support was provided throught the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Program. The NASA Astrobiology Program element of the NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) provides opportunities for Ph.D. scientists and engineers to perform research relevant to the NASA Astrobiology Program. Applications to the Astrobiology Program are accepted twice each year: March 1 and November 1. Note that the Astrobiology Program does not participate in every application/award cycle. For additional information about the program see https://npp.usra.edu/.