Life beyond Earth may form in the coldest depths of space | Ryugu asteroid samples reveal

New analysis of samples from asteroid Ryugu have revealed exciting clues about the origins of life! The material collected by Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft contains several amino acids, including glycine and alanine. Amino acids are the basic building blocks of proteins and essential biomolecules for all life on Earth. This suggests asteroids like Ryugu may have delivered the prebiotic compounds needed to kickstart life during Earth’s early history. Scientists think these amino acids formed in interstellar space and were incorporated into Ryugu when it formed over 4 billion years ago. Surviving intact, they rained down on early Earth via asteroid impacts, providing a supply of ready-made organic molecules that could have led to the first living organisms. The amino acids discovered on Ryugu strengthen theories that the raw ingredients for life on Earth originated in space and were delivered here through asteroids. This important discovery provides new perspectives on how life emerged on our planet! Make sure to subscribe for more updates on the Ryugu sample analysis and origins of life research!