scholarly journals Extraterrestrial hexamethylenetetramine in meteorites—a precursor of prebiotic chemistry in the inner solar system

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Oba ◽  
Yoshinori Takano ◽  
Hiroshi Naraoka ◽  
Yoshihiro Furukawa ◽  
Daniel P. Glavin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Prebiotic Chemistry ◽  
Carbonaceous Chondrites ◽  
Astrophysical Interest ◽  
Extraction Processes ◽  
Extraterrestrial Materials

AbstractDespite extensive studies on the formation of organic molecules in various extraterrestrial environments, it still remains under debate when, where, and how such molecules were abiotically formed. A key molecule to solve the problem, hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) has not been confirmed in extraterrestrial materials despite extensive laboratory experimental evidence that it can be produced in interstellar or cometary environments. Here we report the first detection of HMT and functionalized HMT species in the carbonaceous chondrites Murchison, Murray, and Tagish Lake. While the part-per-billion level concentration of HMT in Murchison and Tagish Lake is comparable to other related soluble organic molecules like amino acids, these compounds may have eluded detection in previous studies due to the loss of HMT during the extraction processes. HMT, which can yield important molecules for prebiotic chemistry such as formaldehyde and ammonia upon degradation, is a likely precursor of meteoritic organic compounds of astrochemical and astrophysical interest.

scholarly journals Clues to the early solar system: Extraterrestrial organic molecules in meteorites

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 13-15
Author(s):  
Zita Martins
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Carbonaceous Chondrites ◽  
Early Solar System ◽  
Very Old ◽  
The Impact

Meteorites are extraterrestrial objects that survive the impact on the Earth's surface. A particular class of meteorites, carbonaceous chondrites, are very old, having remained nearly unaltered since the formation of the solar system approximately 4.6 billion years ago. They contain a rich organic inventory of abiotic molecules with important roles in present day biochemistry. The present article describes the organic compounds present in meteorites, their sources and how to distinguish extraterrestrial organic matter from their terrestrial counterparts.

Search for molecular biosignatures on Mars: laboratory simulations of UV irradiation of molecule-mineral complexes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Fornaro ◽  
Giovanni Poggiali ◽  
Maria Angela Corazzi ◽  
Cristina Garcia ◽  
Giulia Dimitri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Uv Irradiation ◽  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Spectroscopic Characterization ◽  
Sample Return ◽  
Laboratory Simulations ◽  
Prebiotic Molecules

<div> </div> <p><strong>Abstract</strong></p> <p>We present laboratory activities of preparation, characterization, and UV irradiation processing of Mars soil analogues, which are key to support both in situ exploration and sample return missions devoted to detection of molecular biosignatures on Mars.</p> <p>In detail we prepared analog mineral samples relevant to the landing sites of past, present and future Mars exploration missions, such as Gale Crater, Jezero Crater, and Oxia Planum. We doped these samples with a large variety of organic molecules (both biotic and prebiotic molecules) like amino acids, nucleotides, monosaccharides, aldehydes, lipids. We investigated molecular photostability under UV irradiation by monitoring in situ possible modifications of infrared spectroscopic features. These investigations provide pivotal information for ground analysis carried out by rovers on Mars.</p> <p><strong>Introduction</strong></p> <p>Laboratory simulations of Mars are key to support the scientific activity and technology development of life detection instruments on board present and upcoming rover missions such as Mars2020 Perseverance [1] and ExoMars2022 Rosalind Franklin [2]. Studies about the stability of organic molecules in a Martian-like environment allow us to explore the conditions for the preservation of molecular biosignatures and develop models for their degradation in the Martian geological record. A systematic study of the effects of UV radiation on a variety of molecule-mineral complexes mimicking Martian soil can be key for the selection of the most interesting samples to analyse in situ or/and collect for sample return. Testing the sensitivity of different techniques for detection of the diagnostic features of molecular biosignatures embedded into mineral matrices as a function of the molecular concentration helps the choice, design and operation of flight instruments, as well as the interpretation of data collected on the ground during mission operative periods.</p> <p><strong>Methods</strong></p> <p>Experimental analyses were conducted in the Astrobiology Laboratory at INAF-Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri (Firenze, Italy). Laboratory activities pertain to: (i) synthesis of Mars soil analogues doped with organic compounds that are considered potential molecular biosignatures; (ii) UV-irradiation processing of the Mars soil analogues under Martian-like conditions; and (iii) spectroscopic characterization of the Mars soil analogues.</p> <p><strong>Results</strong></p> <p>Such studies have shown to be very informative in identifying mineral deposits most suitable for preservation of organic compounds, while highlighting the complementarity of different techniques for biomarkers detection, which is critical for ensuring the success of space missions devoted to the search for signs of life on Mars.</p> <p>We will present a series of laboratory results on molecular degradation caused by UV on Mars and possible application to detection of organics by Martian rovers [3,4,5,6]. In detail, we investigated the photostability of several amino acids like glycine, alanine, methionine, valine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, glutamic acid, prebiotic molecules like urea, deoxyribose and glycolaldehyde, and biomarkers like nucleotides and phytane adsorbed on relevant Martian analogs. We monitored the degradation of these molecule-mineral complexes through in situ spectroscopic analysis, investigating the reflectance properties of the samples in the NIR/MIR spectral region. Such spectroscopic characterization of molecular alteration products provides support for two upcoming robotic missions to Mars that will employ NIR spectroscopy to look for molecular biosignatures, through the instruments SuperCam on board Mars 2020, ISEM, Ma_MISS and MicrOmega on board ExoMars 2022.</p> <p><strong>Acknowledgements</strong></p> <p>This research was supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) grant agreement ExoMars n. 2017-48-H.0.</p> <p><strong>References</strong></p> <p>[1] Farley K. A. et al. (2020) Space Sci. Rev. 216, 142.</p> <p>[2] Vago, J. L. et al. (2017) Astrobiology 6, 309–347.</p> <p>[3] Fornaro T. et al. (2013) Icarus 226, 1068–1085.</p> <p>[4] Fornaro T. et al. (2018) Icarus 313, 38-60.</p> <p>[5] Fornaro T. et al. (2020) Front. Astron. Space Sci. 7:539289.</p> <p>[6] Poggiali G. et al. (2020) Front. Astron. Space Sci. 7:18.</p>

Carbonaceous chondrites: tracers of the prebiotic chemical evolution of the Solar System

2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja C. Andersen ◽  
Henning Haack
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Early Earth ◽  
Carbonaceous Chondrites ◽  
Subsequent Evolution ◽  
Prebiotic Chemical ◽  
Unique Source ◽  
Sugar Derivatives ◽  
Source Of Information

The astrobiological relevance of carbonaceous chondrites is reviewed. It is argued that the primitive meteorites called carbonaceous chondrites provide a unique source of information about the materials and conditions in the Solar System during the earliest phases of its history, and its subsequent evolution. Presolar dust grains extracted from the carbonaceous chondrites provide direct information on the previous generations of stars that provided the materials present for planet formation. The organic material found in carbonaceous chondrites consist of amino acids, carboxylic acids and sugar derivatives. Part of the amino acids found show L-enantiomeric excesses, which indicates that homochirality on Earth could be a direct result of input from meteoritic material to the early Earth.

scholarly journals Synthesis and Preservation of Organic Molecules with Homochiral Excess by Adsorption on Carbon in Carbonaceous Chondrites

2021 ◽  
pp. 46-53
Author(s):  
V. M. Zhmakin
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Lactic Acid ◽  
Organic Synthesis ◽  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Early Earth ◽  
Carbonaceous Chondrites ◽  
Abiogenic Synthesis ◽  
Extraterrestrial Origin

The nature of carbon, initial components, molecules of homochiral abiogenic synthesis and their preservation from decay and racemization for more than 4.5 billion years in carbonaceous chondrites has not been established. In the oxygen-free atmospheres of the nebula and early Earth, hydrogen and hydrogen-containing gases were oxidized with carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to form carbon and water, as well as the intermediates of these reactions, formaldehyde and methane acid. Together with ammonia, they were the initial components of organic synthesis. According to the Rebinder rule, carbon adsorbs hydrogen well, including in organic molecules. In this connection, experiments with the assumed conditions of the early Earth were carried out by adsorption on carbon to obtain R-(rectus, Latin) ribose from formaldehyde, and S-(sinister) serine from formaldehyde, methane acid and ammonia. For other S-amino acids, a stereo chemical justification of their formation based on S-serine is given. For carbonaceous chondrites, the results of the above experiments were confirmed by the correlation of an increase in homochiral excess with an increase in the amount of hydrogen in aldonic acids and lactic acid with a coefficient of 0.94 and 0.85 in amino acids. The justification of the homochiral process will reduce the costs of searching for life on planets, for scientific research, for the production of medicines, perfumes, food, and so on. Doubts about the extraterrestrial origin of homochiral enantiomers in carbonaceous chondrites arise most often due to a lack of understanding of the reasons for their appearance. This work will significantly reduce such skepticism.

scholarly journals Discovery of the elusive radical NCO and confirmation of H2NCO+ in space

2018 ◽  
Vol 612 ◽  
pp. L10 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Marcelino ◽  
M. Agúndez ◽  
J. Cernicharo ◽  
E. Roueff ◽  
M. Tafalla
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Column Density ◽  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Prebiotic Chemistry ◽  
Peptide Bond ◽  
Dense Core ◽  
Chemical Models

The isocyanate radical (NCO) is the simplest molecule containing the backbone of the peptide bond, C(=O)–N. This bond has a prebiotic interest since it links two amino acids to form large chains of proteins. It is also present in some organic molecules observed in space such as HNCO, NH2CHO, and CH3NCO. In this letter, we report the first detection in space of NCO towards the dense core L483. We also report the identification of the ion H2NCO+, which definitively confirms its presence in space, and observations of HNCO, HOCN, and HCNO in the same source. For NCO, we derive a column density of 2.2 × 1012 cm−2, which means that it is only ~5 times less abundant than HNCO. We find that H2NCO+, HOCN, and HCNO have abundances relative to HNCO of 1/400, 1/80, and 1/160, respectively. Both NCO and H2NCO+ are involved in the production of HNCO and several of its isomers. We have updated our previous chemical models involving NCO and the production of the CHNO isomers. Taking into account the uncertainties in the model, the observed abundances are reproduced relatively well. Indeed, the detection of NCO and H2NCO+ in L483 supports the chemical pathways to the formation of the detected CHNO isomers. Sensitive observations of NCO in sources in which other molecules containing the C(=O)–N subunit have been detected could help elucidate its role in prebiotic chemistry in space.

scholarly journals Methodologies for Analyzing Soluble Organic Compounds in Extraterrestrial Samples: Amino Acids, Amines, Monocarboxylic Acids, Aldehydes, and Ketones

Life ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle N. Simkus ◽  
José C. Aponte ◽  
Jamie E. Elsila ◽  
Eric T. Parker ◽  
Daniel P. Glavin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Chemistry ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Method Development ◽  
Monocarboxylic Acids ◽  
Chromatographic Techniques ◽  
Aldehydes And Ketones

Soluble organic compositions of extraterrestrial samples offer valuable insights into the prebiotic organic chemistry of the solar system. This review provides a summary of the techniques commonly used for analyzing amino acids, amines, monocarboxylic acids, aldehydes, and ketones in extraterrestrial samples. Here, we discuss possible effects of various experimental factors (e.g., extraction protocols, derivatization methods, and chromatographic techniques) in order to highlight potential influences on the results obtained from different methodologies. This detailed summary and assessment of current techniques is intended to serve as a basic guide for selecting methodologies for soluble organic analyses and to emphasize some key considerations for future method development.

scholarly journals On the Origin of Comets and Their Importance for the Cosmogony of the Solar System

1972 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 409-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. G. Fesenkov
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Crystalline Structure ◽  
Interstellar Space ◽  
Carbonaceous Chondrites ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Complex Organic

The processes in interstellar space, as well as the structure of nebulae – including the numerous small condensations around newly formed stars – suggest a relationship to the formation of the cometary cloud surrounding the Sun. Study of carbonaceous chondrites has revealed that in the earliest stage of the solar system's existence frequent periods of brief heating occurred, leading to the formation of very complex organic compounds and also of chondrules of crystalline structure. This was most probably a consequence of cometary collisions. The Tunguska phenomenon illustrates some consequences of a similar collision.

scholarly journals The Case for Prebiotic Chemistry During the Hadean Eon

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rainer Kühne
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Prebiotic Chemistry ◽  
Terrestrial Atmosphere ◽  
Cellular Life ◽  
Terrestrial Life

Geochemists disagree whether or not prebiotic chemistry has existed already during the Hadean Eon and whether the then terrestrial atmosphere has been strongly or weakly reduced. Here I argue that cellular life has existed already just after the end of the Hadean Eon and that terrestrial life has survived a number of cataclysms during the Earth's history. I argue that although organic molecules have been detected in meteorites that most organic molecules required for the formation of macromolecules must have been formed on Earth. Finally, I argue that the primitive terrestrial atmosphere during the Hadean Eon has been weakly reduced, so that amino acids and small nucleic acids could have been formed. I suggest that the first self-replicable macromolecules have been similar to viroids.

scholarly journals The Case for Prebiotic Chemistry During the Hadean Eon

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rainer Kühne
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Prebiotic Chemistry ◽  
Terrestrial Atmosphere ◽  
Cellular Life ◽  
Terrestrial Life

Geochemists disagree whether or not prebiotic chemistry has existed already during the Hadean Eon and whether the then terrestrial atmosphere has been strongly or weakly reduced. Here I argue that cellular life has existed already just after the end of the Hadean Eon and that terrestrial life has survived a number of cataclysms during the Earth's history. I argue that although organic molecules have been detected in meteorites that most organic molecules required for the formation of macromolecules must have been formed on Earth. Finally, I argue that the primitive terrestrial atmosphere during the Hadean Eon has been weakly reduced, so that amino acids and small nucleic acids could have been formed. I suggest that the first self-replicable macromolecules have been similar to viroids.

scholarly journals Prebiotic materials from on and off the early Earth

2006 ◽  
Vol 361 (1474) ◽  
pp. 1689-1702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Bernstein
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Oxidation State ◽  
Hydrothermal Vents ◽  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Early Earth ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Evolution Of Life ◽  
Carbon Compounds ◽  
Compare And Contrast

One of the greatest puzzles of all time is how did life arise? It has been universally presumed that life arose in a soup rich in carbon compounds, but from where did these organic molecules come? In this article, I will review proposed terrestrial sources of prebiotic organic molecules, such as Miller–Urey synthesis (including how they would depend on the oxidation state of the atmosphere) and hydrothermal vents and also input from space. While the former is perhaps better known and more commonly taught in school, we now know that comet and asteroid dust deliver tons of organics to the Earth every day, therefore this flux of reduced carbon from space probably also played a role in making the Earth habitable. We will compare and contrast the types and abundances of organics from on and off the Earth given standard assumptions. Perhaps each process provided specific compounds (amino acids, sugars, amphiphiles) that were directly related to the origin or early evolution of life. In any case, whether planetary, nebular or interstellar, we will consider how one might attempt to distinguish between abiotic organic molecules from actual signs of life as part of a robotic search for life in the Solar System.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document