Scientists think cosmic ice is where prebiotic molecules — the building blocks of life — form. Here on Earth, researchers replicated particles of space ice and bombarded them with electrons and photons to simulate the conditions in dark, dense clouds found in deep space. They saw that hydrogen peroxide was released from water ice after electron bombardment, an experimental finding that could illuminate the role hydrogen peroxide plays in the chemical processes known to support life in the universe.
Read an ACS press release about this research: Extraterrestrial chemistry with earthbound possibilities
“Extraterrestrial synthesis of prebiotic molecules”Presented at ACS Fall 2024 on Aug. 20, 2024Presenter: Kennedy BarnesPrincipal investigator: Christopher Arumainayagam, Ph.D.
Credits:Written and edited by Vangie KoonceProduced by Kerri Jansen and Andrew SobeyNarrated by Allison TauExecutive produced by Matthew Radcliff
Sarah Michaud contributed research for this video.
Special thanks to Jason Dworkin, Ph.D., for helpful scientific discussion.
Research videos from Christopher Arumainayagam, Ph.D., James Battat, Ph.D., Kennedy …