Article citationsMore>>

Cepelewicz, J. (2017) Life’s First Molecule Was Protein, Not RNA, New Model Suggests. Quanta Magazine.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/life-rsquo-s-first-molecule-was-protein-not-rna-new-model-suggests/

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Experimental and Computational Study of Amino Acid Synthesis from Acetonitrile and Glycine Oligomers on a Carbonate Surface under UV-C Radiation: Implications for Titan and Early Earth

  AUTHORS: Karina Rosario Ortiz Leyra, Alejandro Heredia Barbero

  KEYWORDS: Early-Earth, Titan, Prebiotic, Aminoacids, Tholins

  JOURNAL NAME: Natural Science, Vol.17 No.11, December 23, 2025

  ABSTRACT: This study investigates prebiotic chemistry on Titan and Early Earth using experimental methods, including Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), which are relevant for identifying molecular structures and thermal stability of amino acids. Analyses of glycine and acetonitrile with calcium carbonate under UV-C radiation show that glycine oligomers facilitate stable amino acid synthesis. We conclude that Titan’s environment can directly support the formation of life-relevant molecules, revealing a plausible pathway for chemical evolution analogous to that on Early Earth.