Interstellar energetic pathway to protein building block formation

Interstellar energetic pathway to protein building block formation | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Physical Sciences - Article Interstellar energetic pathway to protein building block formation Alfred Hopkinson, Ann Wilson, Joe Pitfield, Alejandra Muina, Richard Racz, and 11 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6939044/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 20 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Astronomy → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The origin of the molecular building blocks of life is a central question in science. A few α-amino acids such as glycine, the simplest proteinogenic amino acid, have been detected in meteorites and comets, indicating an extraterrestrial origin for some prebiotic molecules. However, the formation of peptides, short chains of α-amino acids linked by peptide bonds, under astrophysical conditions has remained unresolved. Here we show that the building blocks of proteins can form in interstellar ice analogues exposed to ionising radiation, without the presence of liquid water. Using isotopically labelled glycine irradiated with protons at cryogenic temperatures, we detect the formation of glycylglycine, the simplest dipeptide, along with deuterated and nondeuterated water as by-products. Peptide bond formation is confirmed by infrared spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry, which also reveal the production of other complex organic species. These findings demonstrate a non-aqueous route to peptide formation under space-like conditions and suggest that such molecules could form in the cold interstellar medium and be incorporated into forming planetary systems. Our results challenge aqueous-centric models of early biochemical evolution and broaden potential settings for the origins of life. Physical sciences/Chemistry/Chemical origin of life Physical sciences/Astronomy and planetary science/Astronomy and astrophysics/Laboratory astrophysics Physical sciences/Physics/Astronomy and astrophysics Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 20 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Astronomy → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6939044","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Physical Sciences - Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":478562098,"identity":"ad870302-fb71-434f-a43b-3ed9d2f66c1a","order_by":0,"name":"Alfred 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A few α-amino acids such as glycine, the simplest proteinogenic amino acid, have been detected in meteorites and comets, indicating an extraterrestrial origin for some prebiotic molecules. However, the formation of peptides, short chains of α-amino acids linked by peptide bonds, under astrophysical conditions has remained unresolved. Here we show that the building blocks of proteins can form in interstellar ice analogues exposed to ionising radiation, without the presence of liquid water. Using isotopically labelled glycine irradiated with protons at cryogenic temperatures, we detect the formation of glycylglycine, the simplest dipeptide, along with deuterated and nondeuterated water as by-products. Peptide bond formation is confirmed by infrared spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry, which also reveal the production of other complex organic species. These findings demonstrate a non-aqueous route to peptide formation under space-like conditions and suggest that such molecules could\r\nform in the cold interstellar medium and be incorporated into forming planetary systems. Our results challenge aqueous-centric models of early biochemical evolution and broaden potential settings for the origins of life.","manuscriptTitle":"Interstellar energetic pathway to protein building block formation","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-07-17 08:45:14","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6939044/v1","editorialEvents":[],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-astronomy","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"natastron","sideBox":"Learn more about [Nature Astronomy](http://www.nature.com/natastron/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Nature Astronomy","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"Nature Research","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"0c9bb31c-06d7-456f-88db-498828488718","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 17th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":50811275,"name":"Physical sciences/Chemistry/Chemical origin of life"},{"id":50811276,"name":"Physical sciences/Astronomy and planetary science/Astronomy and astrophysics/Laboratory astrophysics"},{"id":50811277,"name":"Physical sciences/Physics/Astronomy and astrophysics"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-01-21T08:28:49+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-6939044","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02765-7","journal":{"identity":"nature-astronomy","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Nature Astronomy"},"publishedOn":"2026-01-20 05:00:00","publishedOnDateReadable":"January 20th, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-07-17 08:45:14","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41550-025-02765-7","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02765-7","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6939044","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6939044","identity":"rs-6939044","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}