Astronomers have discovered high amounts of the amino acid tryptophan in interstellar material throughout a nearby star-birthing region of space. Tryptophan is one of 20 amino acids responsible for forming key proteins essential for life on Earth.
The fingerprints of this amino acid, in the form of unique spectral lines, were spotted in data collected by the Spitzer Space Telescope in infrared light from the star-forming IC348 star system. The discovery could indicate that protein-building amino acids often found in meteorites can be present in the gas and dust, which collapse to birth planetary systems around young stars.
