In contrast to current thinking, this new work shows that the early chemical steps believed to be important for the origin of life do not require an already-formed planet. Instead, they seem to take place in deep space long before planet formation occurs. This implies that the vastness of space is filled with chemical compounds which, if they land in a hospitable environment like our Earth, can readily jump-start life. The astrobiology research team also included Dr. Scott Sandford of Ames and David Deamer of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department of UC Santa Cruz. D.C. NASA Ames is the agency's lead center for astrobiology and the location of the central office of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, an international research consortium.
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, dispersion and future of life in the universe.