"Hot Springs: The Crucial Catalyst for Life's Origins"

Scientists have simulated the formation of fatty acids, a crucial component in the creation of Earth's first cells, shedding light on the origins of life on our planet and potentially on other moons and planets. The study, published in Communications Earth and Environment, demonstrates how fatty acids can form under conditions replicating hydrothermal vents, suggesting a potential key stepping stone to the creation of protocells. These findings may also inform the search for similar chemistry and the origin of life elsewhere in our solar system, such as on Jupiter's moon Europa, Saturn's moon Enceladus, or in the past at active hydrothermal vent sites on Mars.