A sample extracted from an asteroid far from Earth has confirmed that RNA nucleobases can be found in space rocks.
high-resolution mass spectrometry. This technique, when employed on the Murchison meteorite that fell to Earth in 1969, yielded all five canonical nucleobases.
The range of biomolecules found in Ryugu was smaller, but still significant, the researchers believe. "We found uracil in the samples in small amounts, in the range of 6–32 parts per billion , while vitamin B3 was more abundant, in the range of 49–99 ppb,"."Other biological molecules were found in the sample as well, including a selection of amino acids, amines and carboxylic acids, which are found in proteins and metabolism, respectively.
As to how they got on the asteroids, scientists believe that compounds containing nitrogen may have formed from simpler molecules, including formaldehyde, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide. These have not been found in the Ryugu samples, but they were likely present if, early in its history, the asteroid or its parent body had been a comet, coated in ices rich in these molecules.
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