Life's Building Blocks May Have Arrived from Space: All DNA and RNA Bases Found in Meteorites for the First Time
In a groundbreaking scientific discovery, researchers have identified all five nucleobases
prativad 
New Delhi/Tokyo:
In a groundbreaking scientific discovery, researchers have identified all five nucleobases—adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), thymine (T), and uracil (U)—within meteorites for the very first time. These molecules form the essential blueprint of DNA and RNA, the foundation of all known life. Published in Nature Communications, the study strongly supports the idea that some of life's basic ingredients may have been delivered to Earth by space rocks.
The international team of scientists from Japan and the United States used a new ultra-sensitive "cold-water extraction" technique to analyze fragments from four meteorites that landed in Australia, Kentucky, and British Columbia. This method allowed them to detect fragile nucleobases that previous techniques had missed, especially cytosine and thymine, which had long remained elusive in extraterrestrial samples.
Alongside these critical bases, researchers also found amino acids and nucleobase isomers—organic compounds that were absent in nearby soil samples, indicating an extraterrestrial origin.
Until now, only adenine, guanine, and occasional traces of uracil had been detected in meteorites. The successful identification of cytosine and thymine marks a major leap forward in astrobiology and the study of life's cosmic origins.
While some scientists still raise concerns about possible terrestrial contamination, the absence of these compounds in surrounding soil lends strong support to their space-based origin.
Further validation may come from ongoing analysis of asteroid samples brought back to Earth by Japan’s Hayabusa2 and NASA’s OSIRIS-REx missions. If confirmed, this discovery could reshape our understanding of how life began on Earth—suggesting that the seeds of life may have come from far beyond our planet.
In this era of Digital India and space exploration, this discovery reminds us that we may truly be “cosmic citizens” — with our origins rooted in the stars and mysteries stretching far beyond Earth.
