An international team of researchers has identified methyl carbamate, an isomer of glycine—an amino acid essential for life—at the center of a young star system. This discovery marks a new stage in the search for the origins of life in the universe, as detecting glycine itself in space has been problematic for decades. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports .
The study was conducted by scientists from China, Germany, and France using the ALMA radio telescope array. During observations of the massive star cradle designated G358.93-0.03 MM1, 10 independent radio markers of methyl carbamate were recorded. Although this substance has the same set of atoms as glycine, their structure is different.
Scientists are calling the discovery of this substance in higher-than-expected quantities a scientific sensation. This contradicts the 'principle of minimum energy' in chemistry and shows that chemical processes in the universe are more complex than previously thought. It was determined that the synthesis of methyl carbamate occurs on ice layers on the surface of cosmic dust particles.
This discovery not only creates a new 'roadmap' for searching for glycine but also helps to understand how complex organic compounds form in the interstellar medium. Future observations in other molecular clouds could fundamentally change our understanding of thermodynamic equilibrium in the universe.
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