We just found a complex building block of life surviving inside the 'delivery rooms' of massive stars, where it's way too hot for anything to last.
March 25, 2026
Original Paper
First Detection of the Glycine Isomer Glycolamide in Hot Molecular Core
arXiv · 2603.23170
The Takeaway
The discovery of glycolamide in a 'hot molecular core' proves that pre-life chemistry can survive the violent heat of star formation. This suggests that the ingredients for life don't just arrive after a planet cools down; they are baked into the environment from the very beginning.
From the abstract
Understanding whether prebiotic molecules can endure and reform through the energetic stages of star formation is essential for tracing the continuity of interstellar chemistry toward life. Glycolamide, an isomer of glycine, was recently detected in the molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027. However, establishing its presence in warm, high-density environments is crucial to evaluate the chemical continuity of amides. Here we report the first detection of glycolamide in a hot molecular core, G358.93-0.03