'The Independent' reports that scientists believe they have discovered a crucial chemical process that helped to bring about life on our planet.
This process takes place entirely within droplets of water.
It had long been unknown how "primordial molecules" could have undergone the complex reactions required to form proteins.
According to a team of scientists in the United States, this mysterious process occurs in places where, "water isn't wet."
"This is essentially the chemistry behind the origin of life. This is the first demonstration that primordial molecules, simple amino acids, spontaneously form peptides, the building blocks of life,
in droplets of pure water." Graham Cooks, Purdue University, via 'The Independent'
According to the team, on the fringes of our water world where water droplets meet the atmosphere, "incredibly rapid reactions can take place.".
The team believes these reactions are how amino acids were first transformed into the building blocks of life.
"Places where sea spray flies into the air and waves pound the land, or where fresh water burbles down a slope, were fertile landscapes for life’s potential evolution." Graham Cooks, Purdue University, via 'The Independent'
According to the team, their work could lead to the faster development of drugs to treat diseases and help inform scientists in the search for extraterrestrial life.
The team's findings were published in the 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.'