SEM-BSE (back-scattered electron) micrographs at low magnification of typical organic particle morphologies in Winchcombe. Credit: Christian Vollmer et al.
Researchers for the first time have analyzed and detected important nitrogen compounds with amino acids and heterocyclic hydrocarbons in a meteorite without applying a chemical treatment. Often seen as a sort of time capsule, meteorite analysis provides an important glimpse into the origins of life on Earth.
The Winchcombe meteorite, the meteorite analyzed, was captured by a network of cameras in London in February 2021 allowing researchers to collect it just a few days later.
“Normally, meteorites are tracked down in the cold and hot deserts on Earth, where the dry climate means that they don’t weather very fast, but they do change as a result of humidity,” said Christian Vollmer. “If a meteorite fall is observed soon after the event and the meteorite is quickly collected, as was the case in Winchcombe, they are important ‘witnesses’ for us regarding the birth of our solar system – which makes them especially interesting for research purposes.”
Researchers commonly believe that the first biologically relevant matter, such as amino acids or hydrocarbons, arrived on Earth over four billion years ago on a meteorite. These molecules typically occur in low concentrations within meteors and were hysterically separated from the meteor using solvents or acids before enrichment and analysis.
In the study, published in Nature Communications, the researchers were the first to demonstrate these molecules' existence without chemical treatment. By utilizing the super-microscope at the SuperSTEM laboratory in England, the researchers were able to detect these compounds despite their low concentrations.
“Demonstrating the existence of these biologically relevant organic compounds in an untreated meteorite is a significant achievement for research,” said Vollmer. “It shows that these building blocks of life can be characterised in these cosmic sediments even without chemical extraction.”
The methods demonstrated could have long-lasting implications for the analysis of extraterrestrial specimens brought back to Earth by future research missions. The methods developed avoid the need for chemical treatment, a process that risks changing these fragile substances.