the Onset of Prebiotic chEmistry iN Space

Introduction

The question of the origin of life has intrigued human beings for centuries. Life appeared on Earth about 3.8 billion years ago, but we ignore the process that made it possible. Recent theories propose that primitive Earth was a huge chemical reactor where a high diversity of precursor components progressively turned into primordial metabolic, self-replicating, and membrane-bounded systems.

The Origin of Components

The origin of these components is debated. They could be formed endogenously or exogenously. It is remarkable that life appeared on Earth soon after the arrival of tons of extraterrestrial organic material on its surface by the impact of meteorites and comets. Thus, exogenous delivery is considered a decisive step in the origin of life.

This idea is supported by the detection of:

• Amino acids
• Nucleobases
• Sugars

in meteorites and comets. It has been proposed that the chemical composition of comets could be inherited from the parental interstellar molecular cloud core.

Research Questions

But what molecules of prebiotic interest can be formed in interstellar space? And which ones could be inherited from the initial conditions of star and planet formation?

Project Overview

OPENS is an interdisciplinary project that will discover what prebiotic molecules are present in the interstellar medium (ISM) and are inherited by Solar-system precursors.

Methodology

Our novel approach integrates:

1. Astronomical observations
2. Laboratory experiments of ices
3. Quantum chemical computations
4. Theoretical modeling

This project is very timely since it will exploit ultra-sensitive, broadband spectral surveys recently obtained with IRAM 30m and Yebes 40m, as well as data from ALMA and JVLA large programs and from a JWST ERS project.

Implications

The detection in the ISM of the prebiotic compounds essential for the emergence of life will pave the way for future laboratory studies in prebiotic chemistry. It will also have important implications for our understanding of how life could originate on our planet and how likely it is to emerge elsewhere in the Universe.