Compounds essential for life found in samples collected from a near-earth asteroid

Samples collected during Hayabusa2's trip to the asteroid Ryugu contain uracil, a substance present in RNA

Organic compounds essential for life have been discovered in samples collected from a distant asteroid by Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft. The compounds discovered include niacin, which is also known as vitamin B3, and uracil, one of the four nucleobases. Nucleobases are nitrogen-containing compounds that make up RNA, which is a molecule present in all living cells and has structural similarities to DNA.

“Scientists have previously found nucleobases and vitamins in certain carbon-rich meteorites, but there was always the question of contamination by exposure to the Earth’s environment,” said lead researcher Prof Yasuhiro Oba of Hokkaido University.