Identifying molecules as biosignatures with assembly theory and mass spectrometry

Marshall, S. M. et al. (2021) Identifying molecules as biosignatures with assembly theory and mass spectrometry. Nature Communications, 12, 3033. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23258-x) (PMID:34031398) (PMCID:PMC8144626)

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Abstract

The search for alien life is hard because we do not know what signatures are unique to life. We show why complex molecules found in high abundance are universal biosignatures and demonstrate the first intrinsic experimentally tractable measure of molecular complexity, called the molecular assembly index (MA). To do this we calculate the complexity of several million molecules and validate that their complexity can be experimentally determined by mass spectrometry. This approach allows us to identify molecular biosignatures from a set of diverse samples from around the world, outer space, and the laboratory, demonstrating it is possible to build a life detection experiment based on MA that could be deployed to extraterrestrial locations, and used as a complexity scale to quantify constraints needed to direct prebiotically plausible processes in the laboratory. Such an approach is vital for finding life elsewhere in the universe or creating de-novo life in the lab.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Keenan, Mr Graham and Mathis, Dr Cole and Gromski, Dr Piotr and Carrick, Dr Emma and Marshall, Stuart and Cooper, Dr Geoff and Cronin, Professor Lee and Craven, Mr Matthew
Authors: Marshall, S. M., Mathis, C., Carrick, E., Keenan, G., Cooper, G. J.T., Graham, H., Craven, M., Gromski, P. S., Moore, D. G., Walker, S. I., and Cronin, L.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Chemistry
Journal Name:Nature Communications
Publisher:Nature Research
ISSN:2041-1723
ISSN (Online):2041-1723
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2021 The Authors
First Published:First published in Nature Communications 12: 3033
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License
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