Rutgers Scientists Identify Substance That May Have Sparked Life on Earth

A computer rendering of the Nickelback peptide shows the backbone nitrogen atoms (blue) that bond two critical nickel atoms (orange). Rutgers scientists who identified this piece of a protein believe it may provide clues to detecting planets on the verge of producing life. Photo: Nanda Laboratory.

Research could provide clues to extraterrestrial life. A team of Rutgers scientists dedicated to pinpointing the primordial origins of metabolism – a set of core chemical reactions that first powered life on Earth – has identified part of a protein that could provide scientists clues to detecting planets on the verge of producing life. The research, published in Science Advances, has important implications …