amino acids
A Single Grain of Ice Could Hold Evidence of Life on Europa and Enceladus
The Solar System's icy ocean moons are primary targets in our search for life. Missions to Europa and Enceladus will…
Venus’ Clouds Contain Sulfuric Acid. That’s Not a Problem for Life.
A recent study published in Astrobiology investigates the potential habitability in the clouds of Venus, specifically how amino acids, which…
Toxic Gas is Leaking out of Enceladus. It’s also a Building Block of Life.
Enceladus' status as a target in the search for life keeps rising. We've known for years that plumes erupting from…
Under Some Conditions, Comets Could Deliver Organic Molecules to Planets
New research shows how comets could deliver the building blocks for life in systems with close-orbiting planets, aiding in the…
Another Key Amino Acid Found in Space: Tryptophan
Astronomers continue to find more and more of the building blocks of life out in space. This time, researchers have…
How Could We Detect Life Inside Enceladus?
A new study provides estimates on what an astrobiology mission could find when it goes to Enceladus and samples its…
Meteorites Bathed in Gamma Rays Produce More Amino Acids and Could Have Helped Life get Going on Earth
Our modern telescopes are more powerful than their predecessors, and our research is more focused than ever. We keep discovering…
Samples of Asteroid Ryugu Contain More Than 20 Amino Acids
The samples obtained by Hayabusa2 have revealed that the Near Earth Asteroid Ryugu contains 20 strains of amino acids -…
One of Life’s Building Blocks can Form in Space
Peptides are one of the smallest biomolecules and are one of life's critical building blocks. New research shows that they…
One of the Building Blocks of Life Can Form in the Harsh Environment of Deep Space Itself. No Star Required
In many ways, stars are the engines of creation. Their energy drives a whole host of processes necessary for life.…