Life on Earth can grow on extraterrestrial organic carbon.

Waajen, Annemiek C, Lima, Cassio, Goodacre, Royston ORCID: 0000-0003-2230-645X and Cockell, Charles S (2024) Life on Earth can grow on extraterrestrial organic carbon. Scientific reports, 14 (1). p. 3691.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54195-6

Abstract

The universe is a vast store of organic abiotic carbon that could potentially drive heterotrophy on habitable planets. Meteorites are one of the transporters of this carbon to planetary surfaces. Meteoritic material was accumulating on early Earth when life emerged and proliferated. Yet it is not known if this organic carbon from space was accessible to life. In this research, an anaerobic microbial community was grown with the CM2 carbonaceous chondrite Aguas Zarcas as the sole carbon, energy and nutrient source. Using a reversed <sup>13</sup>C-stable isotope labelling experiment in combination with optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy of single cells, this paper demonstrates the direct transfer of carbon from meteorite into microbial biomass. This implies that meteoritic organics could have been used as a carbon source on early Earth and other habitable planets, and supports the potential for a heterotrophic metabolism in early living systems.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Carbon, Extraterrestrial Environment, Meteoroids, Planets, Earth, Planet
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	19 Feb 2024 08:42
Last Modified:	26 Feb 2024 08:12
DOI:	10.1038/s41598-024-54195-6
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54195-6
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3178770