First arsenic-based bacteria

First arsenic-based bacteria
Who
Bacteria in Mono Lake
What
first
Where
United States ()
When
Life on Earth uses six basic ‘building block’ elements to make up its molecular structure: carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur and phosphorus. In December 2010 NASA scientists announced their discovery of bacteria in the briny Mono Lake, California, USA, which shows the unique capability of incorporating the element arsenic into its DNA and proteins as a substitute for phosphorus.