Publications by authors named "Lauren Herrington"
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the stability of nucleic acid bases, including adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine, uracil, and 2,6-diaminopurine, in concentrated sulfuric acid over a year at room temperature.
- Researchers found that these organic molecules remain stable in acid concentrations similar to those found in Venusian clouds (81% - 98% sulfuric acid).
- This finding suggests that the harsh conditions of Venus clouds might support complex organic chemicals, which could have implications for understanding potential life in extreme environments.
What constitutes a habitable planet is a frontier to be explored and requires pushing the boundaries of our terracentric viewpoint for what we deem to be a habitable environment. Despite Venus' 700 K surface temperature being too hot for any plausible solvent and most organic covalent chemistry, Venus' cloud-filled atmosphere layers at 48 to 60 km above the surface hold the main requirements for life: suitable temperatures for covalent bonds; an energy source (sunlight); and a liquid solvent. Yet, the Venus clouds are widely thought to be incapable of supporting life because the droplets are composed of concentrated liquid sulfuric acid-an aggressive solvent that is assumed to rapidly destroy most biochemicals of life on Earth.
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