Astronomers detect complex sugar in Milky Way linked to origin of life
Researchers using Spanish radio telescopes have identified erythrulose in interstellar space, strengthening the theory that essential prebiotic molecules were present during the formation of our solar system.
Astronomers have detected erythrulose, a complex sugar, in a gas cloud near the centre of the Milky Way. The discovery was made using two dish-shaped radio telescopes located in Spain. Researchers confirmed the presence of the molecule by matching telescope signals with laboratory samples.
Published Monday in Nature Astronomy, the findings highlight the chemical richness of the interstellar medium. While erythrulose is commonly found in raspberries and self-tanning products on Earth, its presence in space is highly significant. It represents one of the most complex sugars identified in the cosmos to date.
This specific sugar is not strictly essential for life, but it can readily convert into forms considered crucial for kick-starting biological processes. The discovery lends weight to the theory that key prebiotic components were already present in the early solar system, rather than being delivered later by distant comets or space rocks.
For Europe, this underscores the strategic value of its ground-based astronomical infrastructure. The Spanish telescopes that enabled this detection demonstrate how regional investments in scientific facilities continue to yield high-impact data for global research. Such discoveries validate ongoing public and institutional funding for astrobiology and deep-space observation networks.
This finding builds on a history of remarkable chemical detections in our galaxy. Around 25 years ago, scientists identified a cousin of table sugar in the same general region of the Milky Way. More recently, NASA’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft retrieved black grains from asteroid Bennu containing other sugars, including a key DNA ingredient.
Erika Hamden, an astrophysicist at the University of Arizona not involved in the study, described the molecule as a pristine example of the material floating throughout the galaxy. The research team now intends to search for additional sugars and study their conversion mechanisms in space environments.
Izaskun Jiménez-Serra, an astrophysicist at the Centre for Astrobiology in Spain and study author, noted the broader implications. She stated that the key ingredients for the origin of life could exist in other galactic regions, opening the possibility for life to develop elsewhere in the universe.
