Astronomers Detect Sugar Molecule Erythrulose in Milky Way's Core

Astronomers have identified a sugar called erythrulose in the interstellar medium, the sparse clouds of gas and dust between stars, near the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Using two radio telescopes in Spain, researchers detected this sugar in its gaseous state by comparing telescope signals with laboratory samples. This discovery marks the most complex sugar found in space to date and was published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Erythrulose, commonly found in raspberries and tanning products on Earth, plays roles beyond sweetening food; various sugars nourish cells and form DNA components. Scientists are eager to understand sugar formation in space as these molecules are key to life as we know it. Previous findings include sugar-related molecules near the galactic center and sugars from asteroid Bennu samples returned by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission.

While erythrulose itself is not essential for life, it can easily convert into structures critical for life's emergence on Earth. Astrophysicist Erika Hamden of the University of Arizona, not involved in the study, described the finding as pristine material floating in the galaxy. The research supports the theory that life's building blocks were present in the region where our solar system formed, rather than being delivered later by comets or asteroids.

Lead author Isascon Jimenez-Serra from Spain's Center for Astrobiology emphasized that key life components might exist throughout the galaxy, raising the possibility of life developing elsewhere in the universe. Future research aims to locate additional sugars in space and understand their transformations.