Astronomers detect four-carbon sugar in interstellar cloud

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Astronomers report the first direct detection of the four-carbon sugar erythrulose in the molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027 near the Milky Way center, based on observations with the Yebes 40-meter and IRAM 30-meter radio telescopes and laboratory spectroscopic matches. The team identified 12 independent spectral lines matching erythrulose and found about eight times more erythrulose than similar three-carbon sugars, suggesting complex organic molecules can form in pre-stellar material. The finding, reported in Nature Astronomy and led by Izaskun Jiménez-Serra, implies that some prebiotic ingredients are present before star and planet formation and motivates searches for larger sugars such as ribose.

Erythrulose was directly detected in an interstellar molecular cloud.