Scientists at the Laboratory of Radiation Biology of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research are preparing to conduct a new astrobiological experiment. Together with specialists from the Institute for Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMBP RAS), JINR astrobiologists will study possibilities for the synthesis of prebiotic compounds from a mixture of formamide and ancient rocks in outer space — on board biosatellite Bion-M No. 2. The data obtained during the experiment can provide new insights into the possible mechanisms of the origin of life on Earth and other planets. The launch of the spacecraft is scheduled for the second half of 2024.

One of the important questions in the problem of the origin of life is the emergence of the first prebiotic compounds — the initial “building blocks of life”, from which the first cells were subsequently formed. Since the 19th century, many chemists have tried to carry out experiments to study the formation of amino acids, nucleotides, and other biomolecules without the participation of living organisms. The first scientific achievements in abiogenic synthesis were made by American scientists Stanley Miller and Harold Urey in the 1950s. They were first to demonstrate the synthesis of amino acids as a result of passing an electric discharge through a mixture of gases: methane, ammonia, water, and hydrogen. The composition of the mixture was chosen in accordance with the ideas of that time about the atmosphere of the early Earth. The experiment showed that the organic molecules necessary for the emergence of life can be synthesized in an inorganic environment under exposure to natural factors.

Currently, a wide range of research on the synthesis of organic compounds is being carried out around the world. In order to describe the processes of prebiotic evolution, astrobiologists are actively studying the chemical composition of meteorites and rocks. Analysis of their chemical composition can allow researchers to understand what chemical reactions could lead to the formation of organic matter and what conditions were favorable for its synthesis.

In 2013, specialists from the Astrobiology Sector of the LRB, together with colleagues from the Sapienza University and the University of Tuscia (Italy), began to develop a program of a new experiment on the synthesis of prebiotic compounds from formamide.

Formamide (formic acid amide) is one of the simplest organic compounds, which is widespread in the interstellar and interplanetary space and was so on the early Earth (4.6–4 billion years ago). Formic acid amide consists only of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. As a result of research, it has been proved that when it is heated, the formation of more complex organic compounds is possible. To increase the intensity of the fusion reaction, scientists from JINR proposed using a unique method of irradiation with protons with an energy comparable with that of cosmic ray particles.

“During the research, we irradiated at the Phasotron of JINR’s Laboratory of Nuclear Problems a mixture consisting of formamide and meteorite samples, which acted as reaction catalysts. As a result, an increase in the yield of decay products was observed, and the complexity of the resulting compounds increased. In subsequent experiments, we obtained nucleotides — compounds consisting of nitrogenous bases, sugars (ribose or deoxyribose), and a phosphate group. Due to the fact that formamide has no phosphorus, a phosphate group was added to the mixture in order to obtain a fragment of a DNA or RNA chain. Thus, we have found that radiation can not only destroy organic compounds, but also help synthesize more complex compounds, an order of magnitude more effective than heating,” says Mikhail Kapralov, a researcher at the Astrobiology Sector of the LRB, about the experiments with formamide conducted at JINR.

In 2016, one of the developers of the Bion-M spacecraft, Doctor of Medical Sciences Vyacheslav Ilyin, suggested that his colleagues from JINR continue studies not at the accelerator, but directly in space. From this moment, preparations began for a new stage of scientific work: an astrobiological experiment.

Design of the Bion-M No. 2 spacecraft at the MAKS-2021 airshow

Astrobio is an exobiological experiment that looks for the possibilities for the synthesis of prebiotic compounds from a mixture of ancient rocks and formamide in outer space during the Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite mission. The purpose of the experiment is to obtain new data on the sequence of processes that can lead to the formation of a complete, chemically active prebiotic system. A group of specialists from the IMBP RAS, led by Head of the Laboratory of Human Microbial Ecology Vyacheslav Ilyin, and the Astrobiology Sector of the LRB, JINR, are taking part in the experiment. According to IMBP Director, Academician Oleg Orlov, the launch of the spacecraft is scheduled for September 2024.

As Mikhail Kapralov notes, to prepare for the experiment, formamide will initially be placed in test tubes, as well as four samples of ancient rocks (2.7–2.9 billion years old), purified from organic matter, which will serve as catalysts. Since various organic compounds, including DNA and RNA, spread through the air, material samples will undergo preliminary preparation, which will consist of two stages. For chemical treatment, sulfuric acid, chloroform, and methanol will be used. During heat treatment, the material will be heated in an oven to 600°C. Upon completion of the preparatory procedures, the samples will be packaged in 15 0.2 ml tubes before being sent to the testing site.

On board orbital laboratory Bion-M No. 2, the samples will be loaded into a special gateway, which, compared to other compartments of the biosatellite, will be exposed to large doses of space radiation. This satellite is designed for a comprehensive study of the combined biological effects of elevated levels of space radiation and weightlessness on organisms and their specific functional systems at the cellular and molecular levels. It will be launched into a high-latitude orbit at an altitude of 370–380 km, where it will remain for 30 days. During this period, the mixture of formamide and ancient rocks will be subject to radiation and thermal exposure under conditions similar to outer space. After the end of the flight, the resulting biomaterial will be examined at the LRB by astrobiologists using analytical equipment from the experiment participants.

The results of the data analysis will make it possible to clear up whether ancient rocks can act as catalysts in organic synthesis reactions, as was the case on the early Earth, and whether new compounds can be formed in these reactions. If the experiment is successful, scientists will receive information about the necessary conditions for the formation of the first complex organic compounds, which formed billions of years ago. Thanks to the results of this study, representatives of the global scientific community will be able to propose new mechanisms of prebiotic evolution and to develop ideas about the origin of life.