Extraterrestrial protein discovered in meteorite for the first time
Image Credit: wikimedia Common
Scientists have discovered a previously-unknown protein inside a meteorite for the first time. Named hemolithin, the new protein was identified while analyzing a meteorite, Acfer 086, found in Algeria in 1990. It’s a small protein, formed of mostly amino acid glycine and capped with iron, oxygen and lithium atoms at the ends. Scientists believe it may play a key role in seeding life on habitable planets like Earth.