Essential molecule for life spotted floating in space for first time

May 22, 2023

Carbonic acid, an important component of amino acids, has been seen in a cloud of gas near the centre of the Milky Way, which could help us explain how life came to be on Earth

By Alex Wilkins

1 August 2023

The centre of the galaxy as seen in infrared light by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope

NASA/JPL-Caltech

An important component of amino acids known as carbonic acid has been spotted in space for the first time.

Carboxylic acids, of which carbonic acid is an example, form the backbone of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Carbonic acid also plays a key part in our breathing system, transferring carbon dioxide from the blood to our lungs so we can exhale it, and has a crucial role in atmospheric and geological processes, …