For the first time, scientists have captured how complex molecules change shape when exposed to UV light—an ultra-fast ...

Many biologically important molecules change shape when stimulated by UV radiation. Although this property can also be found ...

This image illustrates the chemical structures of the five main nucleobases found in DNA and RNA. The pyrimidines, thymine (DNA), uracil (RNA), and cytosine are shown on top while the purines, adenine ...

The OSIRIS-REx mission returned to the sample to Earth in September of 2023, and these studies show that it contains amino acids, nucleobases, and minerals known as evaporites—all elements of ...

Dust and rocks from Bennu contained all five nucleobases—molecules that make up DNA and RNA—and 14 of the 20 amino acids in proteins. These organic molecules had been found in other asteroids. But ...

(Courtesy: James Di Loreto, Smithsonian) A sample of asteroid dirt brought back to Earth by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission contains amino acids and the nucleobases of RNA and DNA, plus brines that could ...