-TheOnlyOutlier- t1_jd7po0f wrote on March 22, 2023 at 1:13 PM

Reply to comment by panmex in A crucial building block of life exists on the asteroid Ryugu. Uracil, a component of RNA, was found in a sample collected by Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft. by Science_News

Contamination wouldn't occur due to the spacecraft, but due to handling in the lab. While I'm not an expert on organic chemistry, I think it's pretty unlikely that organic contamination would ONLY include uracil. Scientists spend a lot of time making sure their data is significant. Additionally, this isn't the only research group with Ryugu samples that has found complex organics, though I think these might be the most complex found so far.

Source: I work with Ryugu samples. Take my opinion with a grain of salt as I'm still in grad school.

panmex t1_jd9l697 wrote on March 22, 2023 at 8:29 PM

Thanks for the info appreciate it!