NASA's Asteroid Samples Reveal Organic Compounds and Sugars

NASA's OSIRIS-REx samples from asteroid Bennu have revealed bio-essential sugars, a never-before-seen 'space gum' polymer, and unusually high levels of supernova-origin dust. Lead scientist Yoshihiro Furukawa of Tohoku University stated that all five nucleobases used to construct both DNA and RNA, along with phosphates, have already been found in the Bennu samples brought to Earth.

The new discovery of ribose means that all of the components to form the molecule RNA are present in Bennu. These findings, published in three papers by the journals Nature Geosciences and Nature Astronomy, bolster the RNA-world hypothesis and suggest that complex organics formed early on Bennu's parent body.

The samples also show preserved presolar grains that escaped alteration for billions of years. NASA has published a video on YouTube detailing the discovery.