Life's Building Blocks Discovered in Perseus Cloud.

Researchers have discovered the presence of numerous prebiotic molecules in the Perseus Molecular Cloud, a young star cluster some 2-3 million years old. Some of these biological molecules are considered essential building bricks for the construction of more complex molecules such as the amino acids, which formed the genetic code of ancient microorganisms, and brought about the flourishing of life on Earth. The detection of prebiotic molecules at interstellar sites so close to this star cluster suggests the possibility that accretion processes are taking place onto young planets that could contribute to the formation of complex organic molecules. The next step will be to use the powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to provide details about the spatial distribution of all these molecules.