"Urea's Surprising Role in Life's Origins Revealed by Scientists"
Originally Published 2 years ago — by SciTechDaily
Scientists from ETH Zurich and the University of Geneva have developed a new method to observe chemical reactions in liquids at an extremely high temporal resolution, using X-ray spectroscopy. This breakthrough allows them to track molecular changes within femtoseconds, shedding light on reactions involving molecules like urea that may have played a role in the emergence of life on Earth. The researchers discovered that ionizing radiation causes a hydrogen atom transfer within urea molecules, leading to the formation of urea radicals and potentially the building blocks of RNA and DNA. This new technique has broad implications for understanding biochemical processes and chemical syntheses in liquids.