Analysis of a Meteorite Slice Containing Precursors to Life’s Building Blocks
An illustration demonstrates the extraction of a thin slice from the Winchcombe meteorite to examine a carbon-rich region-of-interest using advanced techniques at the Diamond Light Source and SuperSTEM. This process allows for the precise analysis of the meteorite’s composition.
In 2021, a meteorite that landed on a driveway in Gloucestershire revealed the presence of amino acids and nucleobases, potential precursors to life’s essential chemical components on Earth. This discovery was made possible through the application of a novel electron microscopy technique.
On the night of February 28, 2021, a luminous fireball streaked across the sky in south-west England, leading to the recovery of meteorite fragments from Winchcombe village the following day. This event marked the first recorded meteorite fall in the UK since 1991, providing valuable extraterrestrial material for scientific study.
Utilizing the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) at the National Research Facility for Advanced Electron Microscopy in Daresbury, UK, researchers identified amino acids and N-heterocycles within the Winchcombe meteorite. These nitrogen-containing compounds are known to form basic nucleobases, serving as potential precursors to biologically significant amino acids and the more complex nucleobases crucial for RNA and DNA structures.
Unlike many meteorites that undergo chemical alterations due to terrestrial exposure over time, the rapid retrieval of the Winchcombe meteorite within 12 hours minimized such effects. This swift action played a pivotal role in preserving the meteorite’s pristine nature, crucial for detecting nitrogen-bearing compounds that are susceptible to alteration.
SuperSTEM’s cutting-edge electron microscopy capabilities enabled the detection of low concentrations of organic compounds within the meteorite. By employing advanced electron spectroscopy techniques, researchers could analyze the meteorite’s composition without resorting to invasive chemical extraction methods, thus safeguarding the integrity of the precious sample.
The discovery of amino acids and N-heterocycles in the Winchcombe meteorite aligns with similar findings in other meteorites, supporting the hypothesis of extraterrestrial origins for life’s fundamental building blocks. Future investigations using isotopic ratios aim to unveil the meteorite’s formation history within the pre-solar nebula that birthed the solar system billions of years ago.
SuperSTEM researchers aspire to extend their studies to include isotopic ratio analyses, which can provide insights into the meteorite’s origin and evolution. By examining variations in isotopic ratios such as carbon-12 and -13, and nitrogen-14 and -15, researchers can trace the meteorite’s journey through the solar system’s early stages.
The study of the Winchcombe meteorite represents a significant step in understanding the cosmic connections that contribute to life’s emergence on Earth. As sample-return missions become more prevalent, researchers anticipate exciting opportunities to analyze extraterrestrial materials brought back from asteroids, the Moon, and potentially Mars in the near future.