Amino Acids from Asteroid Bennu Reveal Surprising Origins

New study suggests some amino acids may have formed in icy, radioactive conditions in early solar system

Apr. 13, 2026 at 6:13am

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A highly structured abstract painting in soft, earthy tones of ochre, sienna, and deep blue, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric planetary circles, and precise botanical spirals, conceptually representing the complex scientific forces behind the formation of amino acids in the early solar system.The discovery of amino acids on the Bennu asteroid challenges our understanding of how the building blocks of life formed in the early solar system.Penn State Erie Today

Researchers from Penn State and other institutions have made a groundbreaking discovery about the origins of amino acids, the building blocks of life, based on samples from the asteroid Bennu. The study suggests that some amino acids may have formed in icy, radioactive conditions in the early solar system, challenging the conventional belief that they require liquid water to form.

Why it matters

This discovery has the potential to rewrite the story of how life began on our planet, as it challenges the long-held assumption that amino acids require liquid water to form. The findings open up new possibilities about the conditions that may have given rise to the essential components of life.

The details

The research team, led by Allison Baczynski and Ophélie McIntosh, analyzed tiny dust samples from the Bennu asteroid brought back by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission. They focused on the amino acid glycine and found that its isotopic ratios suggest it may have formed in ice exposed to radiation in the early outer solar system, rather than in the presence of liquid water as previously thought. The researchers compared their findings to the analysis of amino acids from the Murchison meteorite, which formed via Strecker synthesis in warmer temperatures and liquid water.

  • The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2026.
  • The OSIRIS-REx mission brought samples from the Bennu asteroid to Earth in 2023.

The players

Allison Baczynski

A researcher from Penn State who led the study analyzing the amino acids from the Bennu asteroid.

Ophélie McIntosh

A researcher who collaborated with Baczynski on the study of amino acids from the Bennu asteroid.

OSIRIS-REx

A NASA mission that brought samples from the Bennu asteroid to Earth in 2023.

Murchison meteorite

A meteorite that fell in Australia in 1969, which contained amino acids that formed via Strecker synthesis in the presence of liquid water.

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What they’re saying

“Our modified instrumentation allowed us to make precise measurements of glycine's isotopic ratios, revealing a surprising diversity in the pathways and conditions under which these amino acids can form.”

— Allison Baczynski, Researcher, Penn State

“The amino acids in Bennu show a distinct isotopic pattern compared to Murchison, indicating that these asteroids likely originated in different regions of the solar system.”

— Ophélie McIntosh, Researcher

What’s next

The researchers plan to continue analyzing a range of meteorites to explore the diversity of conditions and pathways that can create the building blocks of life.

The takeaway

This discovery challenges the long-held belief that amino acids, the essential components of life, require liquid water to form. The findings from the Bennu asteroid suggest that some amino acids may have originated in icy, radioactive conditions in the early solar system, opening up new possibilities about the origins of life on Earth.