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Nov. 16 (UPI) – New research suggests that one of life’s most important building blocks, a simple amino acid called glycine, may form inside interstellar clouds well before the emergence of stars and planets.
Scientists previously detected glycine in the coma of comet 67P / Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Stardust sampling missions also revealed the presence of interplanetary glycine.
Until now, scientists thought that significant amounts of energy were required for the formation of glycine and other amino acids, the type of energy produced by stars.
However, new experiments – detailed Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy – suggest that “dark chemistry” reactions can produce glycine on the surface of icy dust grains without the assistance of stellar energy.
“Dark chemistry refers to chemistry without the need for energy radiation,” study lead author Sergio Ioppolo said in a press release.
“In the lab, we were able to simulate the conditions in interstellar dark clouds where cold dust particles are covered with thin layers of ice and then processed by atoms that cause precursor species to fragment and reactive intermediates to recombine,” he said Ioppolo, researcher at Queen Mary University of London.
The experiments first revealed the formation of methylamine, a precursor of glycine. After repeated testing and the assistance of precise atomic beam-powered diagnostic technologies, the researchers were able to detect glycine production as well.
The analysis showed that while solar energy was not essential, frozen water was vital to the glycine formation process. The researchers were able to confirm their experimental results using astrochemical models.
“From this we find that low but substantial amounts of glycine can form in space over time,” said study co-author Herma Cuppen, a professor at Radboud University in the Netherlands.
Based on the results of dark chemistry experiments, the researchers speculate that glycine may exist in abundance before the formation of stars and planets, conserved in the icy particles of interstellar clouds and easily incorporated into comets.
“Once formed, glycine can also become a precursor to other complex organic molecules,” Ioppolo said. “Following the same mechanism, in principle, other functional groups can be added to the glycine backbone, resulting in the formation of other amino acids, such as alanine and serine in the dark clouds in space.”
“Eventually, this enriched organic molecular inventory is included in celestial bodies, such as comets, and delivered to young planets, as has happened to our Earth and many other planets,” Ioppolo said.
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