A common mineral, α-alumina, found abundantly in Earth's crust, may have played a critical role in initiating the chemical reactions necessary for life to begin. This exciting discovery, detailed in a ...

For the origin of life on Earth, ancient puddles or coastlines may have had a major ripple effect. A new study shows that a simple class of molecules called alpha hydroxy acids forms microdroplets ...

Over the past five years or so we've seen some important breakthroughs demonstrating how enzymes can be used to break down common plastics, such as the PET used for everything from drink bottles to ...

Bullvalene is a restless molecule. Its bonds ebb and flow in a perpetual series of rearrangements, so that each of its 10 carbon atoms endlessly swaps places with the others. The bizarre consequence ...

Two simple molecules can react to form most of the intermediates in an analog of the modern-day Krebs cycle, without the need for enzymes or metals, according to a new study (Nat. Chem. 2020, DOI: ...

Chemists' technique for turning cheap dicarboxylic acids into complex lactones could boost industries from pharmaceuticals to plastics. Chemists at Scripps Research have unveiled a method for turning ...

Researchers may have figured out how a crucial ingredient that cells need to produce energy could form in deep space. Calculations and lab experiments suggest that glyceric acid can arise from ...