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RNA Building Blocks Visible at the Center of the Milky Way

A team of researchers say they have found some of the building blocks of RNA in a molecular cloud close to the center of the Milky Way. The discovery has implications for theories about how life began on Earth – and perhaps elsewhere. The molecular cloud is named G+0.693-0.027. A team of astrophysicists, astrobiologists and chemists conducted a cloud survey using two telescopes in Spain to uncover chemical details. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a molecule present in all living cells that behaves similarly to DNA, although it is single-stranded. There is evidence that RNA could precede DNA, based on laboratory observations of ribosomes, which are composed of RNA. However, whether ancient RNA could start life or not, is another matter. The team recently discovered several organic molecules in the cloud that are part of a group called nitriles, which may have been important in producing RNA in the early universe; The team’s results were published today in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space

RNA Building Blocks Visible at the Center of the Milky Way

A team of researchers say they have found some of the building blocks of RNA in a molecular cloud close to the center of the Milky Way. The discovery has implications for theories about how life began on Earth – and perhaps elsewhere. The molecular cloud is named G+0.693-0.027. A team of astrophysicists, astrobiologists and chemists conducted a cloud survey using two telescopes in Spain to uncover chemical details. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a molecule present in all living cells that behaves similarly to DNA, although it is single-stranded. There is evidence that RNA could precede DNA, based on laboratory observations of ribosomes, which are composed of RNA. However, whether ancient RNA could start life or not, is another matter. The team recently discovered several organic molecules in the cloud that are part of a group called nitriles, which may have been important in producing RNA in the early universe; The team’s results were published today in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space

The building blocks for RNA-based life abound at the center of our galaxy

Newswise — Nitriles, a class of organic molecules with a cyano group, that is, a carbon atom bonded by an unsaturated triple bond to a nitrogen atom, are typically toxic. But paradoxically, they are also key precursors to molecules essential for life, such as ribonucleotides, which are made up of nucleobases or ‘letters’ A, U, C, and G joined by ribose and phosphate groups, which together make up RNA. Now, a team of researchers from Spain, Japan, Chile, Italy, and the US is showing that various nitriles occur in interstellar space in the G+0.693-0.027 molecular cloud, near the center of the Milky Way. Dr Víctor M. Rivilla, a researcher at the Center for Astrobiology of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) in Madrid, Spain, and first author of the new study, said: “Here we show that the chemistry that occurs in the medium interstellar capable of efficiently forming multiple nitriles, which are key molecular precursors o

Key Building Blocks for Life Found in Clouds Near the Center of Our Galaxy

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New research finds that molecular clouds are loaded with key precursors for life on Earth. This image is a “Pigtail” Molecular Cloud. Credit: Keio University, NAOJ The main precursors for life on Earth abound in interstellar molecular clouds and may arrive on Earth in comets and meteors. Nitriles, a class of organic molecules with a cyano group (carbon atom Atom is the smallest component of an element. It consists of protons and neutrons in the nucleus, and electrons that surround the nucleus. ” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{” attribute=””>atom bound with a triple unsaturated bond to a nitrogen atom) are typically toxic. But paradoxically, they are also a key precursor for molecules essential for life on Earth, such as ribonucleotides, composed of the nucleobases or ‘letters’ A, U, C, and G joined to a ribose and phosphate group, which together make up “Here we show that the chemistry that takes place in the interstellar medium is able to efficiently form multiple nitriles, wh

The building blocks for RNA-based life abound at the center of our galaxy

08 July 2022 ( Nanowerk News ) Nitriles, a class of organic molecules with a cyano group, i.e. a carbon atom bonded by an unsaturated triple bond to a nitrogen atom, are usually toxic. But paradoxically, they are also key precursors to molecules essential for life, such as ribonucleotides, which are made up of nucleobases or ‘letters’ A, U, C, and G joined by ribose and phosphate groups, which together make up RNA. Now, a team of researchers from Spain, Japan, Chile, Italy and the US are showing that various nitriles occur in interstellar space in the G+0.693-0.027 molecular cloud, near the center of the Milky Way ( Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Science “Molecular precursors of the RNA world in space: new nitriles in the molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027”). Dr Víctor M. Rivilla, a researcher at the Center for Astrobiology of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) in Madrid, Spain, and first author of the new study, said: “

Many Precursors For RNA Have Been Detected In Our Galactic Center

The heart of the Milky Way appears to be a hotspot for molecules that combine to form RNA. A new survey of the thick molecular cloud that shrouds the galactic center has revealed the presence of various nitriles – organic molecules that are often toxic in isolation, but are also molecular building blocks essential for life. The increase in prebiotic molecules (molecules involved in the emergence of life) identified at the center of galaxies, particularly those associated with RNA, has implications for our understanding of how life emerged in the Universe – and how it happened on Earth. “Here we show that the chemistry occurring in the interstellar medium is able to efficiently form some of the nitriles, which are key molecular precursors of the ‘RNA World’ scenario,” explains astrobiologist Víctor Rivilla of the Spanish National Research Council and National Institutes. Aerospace Technology in Spain. Exactly how life arose on Earth is a mystery that basic scientists are eager to achie