With everything we now know about space, the universe, and how life managed to find a way on our lonely little planet, there are still many questions about how it all began.

Now, research shows that the building blocks that scientists think allowed life might actually thrive better in space than here on the ground.

Scientists believe life arose from a mixture of organic chemicals and biomolecules, eventually leading to organisms on Earth.

Research points to the fact that the ingredients were likely from outer space, and this new study shows that a special group of molecules known as peptides can form easily in the conditions of space.

Proteins are large, complex carbon-based molecules that uphold the functions of life inside our cells. The manufacture of these proteins happens due to our DNA, a large and complex molecule of its own.

These complex molecules are assembled from smaller, simple molecules like amino acids – the so-called building blocks of life.

Understanding the origin of life means understanding where these building blocks form and how the spontaneously assembled themselves into more complex structures.

Then, we need to understand what allows them to become a living organism; one that is confined and self-replicating.

That’s what this latest study illuminates, at least partially, as well as how they ended up on Earth.

DNA is made up of about 20 different amino acids, arranged in DNA’s double helix structure in different combinations that contain our genetic code.

Peptides are also amino acids arranged in a chain-like structure, and can be made up of as little as two – or as many as hundreds – of amino acids.

Peptides are important because they provide functions like “catalysing,” or enhancing, reactions that are necessary for life.

They also could have been further assembled into early versions of membranes, confining functional molecules in cell-like structures.

Of course, the origin of life is not so simple as peptides forming under the right conditions on early Earth.

In fact, the cold conditions of space turned out to be more favorable for their formation.

Single atoms of carbon monoxide and ammonia molecules can stick together with single carbon atoms and dust grains, reacting to form amino acid-like molecules.

As the cloud becomes denser and dust particles also start to stick together, these molecules can assemble into peptides.

Researchers on this study looked at the dense environment of dusty disks give birth to a new solar system with a star and planets.

The disks form when clouds suddenly collapse under the force of gravity. In space, water molecules are much more prevalent, forming ice on the surface of any growing agglomerates of particles that could inhibit peptide reactions.

They found, though, that although the formation of peptides is slightly diminished, it is not totally prevented.

As rocks and dust combine to form larger bodies, like asteroids and comets, bodies head up and allow liquids to form.

This boosts peptide formation in the liquids, and there’s a natural selection of further reactions resulting in even more complex organic molecules.

These are exactly the processes they believe would have occurred during the formation of our Solar System.

So, the building blocks of life – amino acids, lipids, and sugars can absolutely form in the space environment.

Because peptide formation is more efficient in space than of Earth, and because we can see them accumulate in comets, that could have been how they were delivered here, setting the stage for the emergence of life.

And if that happened here, it could happen other places, as well.

So there just might be life out there somewhere after all.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about a second giant hole has opened up on the sun’s surface. Here’s what it means.