Scientists Detect 4-Carbon Sugar Erythrulose in Interstellar Space, a First for the ISM
Updated
Updated · Nature.com · Jul 13
Scientists Detect 4-Carbon Sugar Erythrulose in Interstellar Space, a First for the ISM
3 articles · Updated · Nature.com · Jul 13
Summary
Erythrulose—a chiral four-carbon ketose—was identified in the Galactic Centre cloud G+0.693−0.027, marking the first confirmed sugar detected in the interstellar medium.
Twelve line sets covering 17 transitions were measured with the Yebes 40 m and IRAM 30 m telescopes; six largely unblended features cut the chance-alignment probability to 0.2%.
The team derived an excitation temperature of 11.3 K and a column density of 8.7 × 10^13 cm−2, with erythrulose at least 8 times more abundant than undetected three-carbon sugars.
Quantum and astrochemical models indicate the sugar forms efficiently on dust-grain ice from glycolaldehyde and ethylene glycol, then can be released into gas by shocks in the cloud.
The finding extends known interstellar chemical complexity—erythrulose is only the second chiral molecule found there—and strengthens the case that space-borne sugars helped seed prebiotic chemistry on early Earth.
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Interstellar Erythrulose Discovery Reveals Widespread Prebiotic Chemistry in the Universe
Overview
The recent detection of erythrulose, a four-carbon sugar, in interstellar space marks a major breakthrough in astrobiology and our understanding of the origins of life. This discovery shows that complex sugars, which are fundamental biomolecules and essential for life as metabolic fuels and structural components of nucleic acids, can form in the harsh conditions of space. Since laboratory experiments on early Earth have struggled to produce enough monosaccharides, finding erythrulose in space suggests that the building blocks of life may be more widespread and accessible throughout the universe than previously thought, offering new insights into cosmic chemistry and life's potential beginnings.