University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of astrochemistry. A team of scientists, led by Professor Ralf I. Kaiser, has successfully synthesized glyceric acid in low temperatures on ice coated nanoparticles, replicating conditions found in deep space. This research, published in the journal Science Advances, sheds light on the role of this critical molecule in the metabolism of living organisms and its significance in glycolysis.
Working alongside postdoctoral fellows Jia Wang and Joshua H. Marks, the team collaborated with computational chemist Professor Ryan C. Fortenberry from the University of Mississippi to conduct experiments at UH Mānoa’s W. M. Keck Research Laboratory in Astrochemistry. By using interstellar model ices and proxies of energetic Galactic Cosmic Rays, the researchers were able to detect racemic glyceric acid in the gas phase using photo ionization lasers.
The formation of molecules like glyceric acid in space could potentially play a key role in the development of life on planets such as Earth. Scientists are hopeful that these findings will pave the way for the detection of similar molecules in space using advanced telescopes like ALMA. Understanding how these molecules are formed in space is crucial for unraveling the mysteries surrounding the origins of life.
The collaboration between experimental and computational approaches in this study underscores the importance of different perspectives in the field of science. The success of this research highlights how diverse approaches can work together to generate new knowledge and advance our understanding of the universe.
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