'The Independent' reports that scientists believe they have discovered a crucial chemical process that helped to bring about life on our planet. <br />This process takes place entirely within droplets of water.<br />It had long been unknown how "primordial molecules" could have undergone the complex reactions required to form proteins.<br />According to a team of scientists in the United States, this mysterious process occurs in places where, "water isn't wet."<br />"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, <br />in droplets of pure water." Graham Cooks, Purdue University, via 'The Independent'<br />According to the team, on the fringes of our water world where water droplets meet the atmosphere, "incredibly rapid reactions can take place.".<br />The team believes these reactions are how amino acids were first transformed into the building blocks of life.<br />"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'<br />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.<br />The team's findings were published in the 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.'
