Scientists Find ‘Mirror Life’ Building Blocks on Asteroid Bennu
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Summary
Two studies, published in Nature and Nature Astronomy, found that the asteroid Bennu contained molecules of all five nucleobases that form DNA and RNA, as well as 14 out of 20 amino acids that form proteins.
While some of the amino acids were left-handed, or ‘L’, a large amount were ‘D’, or dextral, which is their mirror image and not found naturally on Earth.
The discovery of so-called ‘mirror amino acids’ has led some scientists to begin experimenting with tweaking naturally occurring left-handed amino acids so they are mirror images too.
One benefit of these ‘mirror bacteria’ is that they could be resistant to diseases that plague current life on Earth.
Bennu also contained high levels of ammonia and formaldehyde, and salt formations indicating the presence of water, comparable to dried lake beds on Earth, which could have helped molecules interact.
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which collected samples from Bennu, is being prepared for a mission to the asteroid Apophis in 2029.
