Experts continue to try to find out exactly how life appeared in the Universe.
A new discovery has recently been made that may allow scientists to get closer to solving this mystery.
The specialists' breakthrough is reported in a publication in the journal Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics.
During the experiment, scientists from the Samara National Research University named after Academician S.P. Korolev were able to synthesize the simplest ketoaldehyde for the first time under conditions that were as close as possible to space conditions.
The resulting substance is an intermediate product involved in biochemical processes. The mechanisms of its formation remain unknown, and scientists believe that it is in ketoaldehydes that the clue to the origin of life lies.
Thanks to the data obtained, the researchers came to the conclusion that the substance they synthesized could become a precursor to the sugars, sugar acids and amino acids known to us.
Obtaining ketoaldehyde under conditions close to the state of interstellar ice proves that its synthesis is possible in deep space.
