A controversial study suggested a bacterium at Mono Lake could substitute arsenic for phosphorus, challenging fundamental biochemistry. The scientific community questioned the claim, raising doubts about its validity. After 15 years, the study was retracted by the journal Science, which has adjusted its standards to allow retraction based on insufficient experimental support rather than solely on fraud. The retraction impacts the understanding of biochemistry and the potential for life in extraterrestrial environments.
The claim that a microbe could survive on arsenic instead of phosphorus was controversial, challenging established biochemistry and stirring significant debate within the scientific community.
The retraction of the arsenic life study has significant implications for the understanding of biochemistry and potentially redefines the conditions for life elsewhere in the universe.
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