Trending Now - Asteroid Ryugu Found to Host Complete DNA and RNA Components
WHO:
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Toshiki Koga, co-author and postdoctoral researcher at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
WHAT:
A study published in Nature Astronomy found all five nucleobases in samples from the asteroid Ryugu.
The five nucleobases are adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil.
The Ryugu samples A0480 (11.9 mg) and C0370 (8.3 mg) were analyzed.
Previous research had found uracil in the Ryugu samples.
Ryugu contains roughly equal amounts of purine nucleobases (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidine nucleobases (cytosine, thymine, and uracil).
The study suggests that nucleobases may have been more widespread across the early solar system than previously thought.
WHERE:
The samples were collected from the asteroid Ryugu, located 186 million miles (300 million kilometers) from Earth.
Analysis conducted at Kyushu University in a cleanroom environment.
WHEN:
The Hayabusa2 mission was launched in 2014.
The spacecraft reached Ryugu in 2018.
The study was published on March 17th, 2026.
WHY:
The research supports the hypothesis that asteroids and comets delivered the ingredients for life to Earth.
HOW:
The analysis involved extracting and purifying organic molecules from the Ryugu samples using various methods, including ultrasonication and cation-exchange chromatography.
The samples were analyzed using high-resolution online HPLC/ESI-HRMS systems.
The researchers conducted their analysis in a cleanroom to prevent contamination and confirmed that the molecules formed on Ryugu rather than coming from Earth.
(UPDATED March 17, 2026 13:28 UTC)
A groundbreaking study published today in Nature Astronomy reveals that researchers from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology have identified all five nucleobases—adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil—in samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu. The analysis, conducted in a cleanroom at Kyushu University, showed that Ryugu contains roughly equal amounts of purine and pyrimidine nucleobases, supporting the idea that the building blocks of life may have been more widespread in the early solar system than previously believed. This research, stemming from the Hayabusa2 mission launched in 2014, reinforces the hypothesis that asteroids and comets played a crucial role in delivering the ingredients for life to Earth.