Is Cosmic Dust the Origin of Life? Stardust is Not Just Trash - Cosmic Dust Mass-Producing the Building Blocks of Life

"Dust That Makes You Want to Clean" Takes Center Stage in Space?

Dust accumulating in the corners of a room is just a nuisance. However, "dust" floating in space, known as cosmic dust, might play an unexpectedly important role in the story of life.

An article published on November 24, 2025, by Phys.org titled "Cosmic dust vital for sparking life in space" reports on research that radically changes our perception of cosmic dust. An international team led by Heriot-Watt University (Scotland) reported that without cosmic dust, the complex organic molecules necessary for life might not efficiently form.Phys.org

This study, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal The Astrophysical Journal, carries the challenging title "Could Cosmic Dust Be a 'Prerequisite' for Molecular Evolution of Life?"Phys.org

"Dust Sandwich" Mimicking Space

The research team created a "sandwich structure" simulating space in the laboratory of Dr. Alexey Potapov in Jena, Germany.hw.ac.uk

1. On a glass substrate, they gently deposited porous silicate particles (minerals containing magnesium) created by laser evaporation.

2. They then layered extremely thin ice layers of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and ammonia (NH₃) above and below.

3. The entire setup was cooled to about minus 260°C (approximately 13K, similar to interstellar molecular clouds) and then slowly warmed to around minus 190°C (temperatures expected in protoplanetary disks).

During this process, CO₂ and NH₃ molecules diffused through the mesh structure of the silicate dust, collided in narrow passages, and reacted. The resulting compound was ammonium carbamate.Phys.org

Ammonium carbamate itself is a familiar substance in terrestrial chemical experiments, but in the context of space, it is considered a "precursor to urea and even more complex organic molecules." Urea is a crucial molecule widely involved in life on Earth, and if its precursor is being formed in space, it adds a significant piece to the scenario of the origin of life.

Interestingly, when the dust layer was omitted, and only CO₂ and NH₃ ice were layered, the reaction hardly progressed. This means that the mere presence of cosmic dust dramatically accelerates the reaction.hw.ac.uk

The Chemistry of "Acid and Base" Induced by Dust

The essence of this phenomenon lies in "acid-base catalysis." CO₂ acts as a weak acid, NH₃ as a base, and the transfer of protons (H⁺) between them results in the formation of ammonium carbamate. The research team claims that this acid-base catalysis involving proton transfer has been experimentally confirmed under the extreme cold and ultra-high vacuum conditions of space for the "first time."hw.ac.uk

Typically, the lower the temperature, the slower the molecular movement, and the reaction rate drops significantly. Nevertheless, the presence of dust enhances the reaction efficiency for the following reasons:

• Vastly Larger Surface Area
  Porous dust has a sponge-like structure with countless holes and passages inside. Molecules adhere to these surfaces and move around, significantly increasing the probability of encounters.

• "Capturing and Holding" Molecules
  In a vacuum, molecules quickly disperse, but the dust surface acts as a temporary foothold, extending the molecules' residence time.

• Local Temperature and Electric Field Fluctuations
  Surface inhomogeneities and charge imbalances might create "hot spots" conducive to proton transfer.

In fact, the idea that "cosmic dust is not just a stage for chemical reactions but an active player changing the rules of the game" has been gradually gaining strength in recent years. For instance, a 2020 experiment showed that artificially created dust particles covered in ice have a much "fluffier and larger surface area" structure than previously assumed, which could significantly influence the efficiency of organic molecule formation.Phys.org

This study, as the latest in that trend, demonstrated the power of dust catalysis in a specific reaction system (CO₂ + NH₃ → ammonium carbamate).

The Universe is Full of Nano-Sized Reaction Chambers

Tracing the origins of cosmic dust leads to the outer layers of red giants and the remnants of supernova explosions, the sites of stellar birth and death. The silicate and carbonaceous particles born there cool down and wander through interstellar space, gradually acquiring thin ice coatings—researchers refer to these particles as "tiny cosmic labs."Phys.org

As demonstrated in this study, within these labs, simple molecules like CO₂ and NH₃ can adsorb onto dust surfaces, move around, react with each other, and evolve into more complex organic molecules. Other research has proposed scenarios where molecules equivalent to the "letters" of life, such as amino acids, form within interstellar dust or planetesimals and then rain down on Earth.Phys.org

In early 2025, the analysis results of NASA's Bennu asteroid samples also detected 14 types of amino acids and bases that form the building blocks of DNA and RNA, suggesting that "the ingredients for life were widely distributed in the early solar system."NASA

When piecing together these results, the following image emerges:

1. Dust particles are born with the death of stars.

2. In the ultra-cold molecular clouds, dust surfaces and thin ice coatings become "reaction chambers," synthesizing organic molecules.Phys.org

3. Dust containing these molecules gathers to form asteroids and comets, some of which rain down on young planets.NASA

It is well-known that the carbon and nitrogen making up our bodies were originally created inside stars, but this study provides a slightly more concrete understanding of "what 'molecular form' those elements were delivered to planets."

Reactions on Social Media: Romanticists, Sci-Fi Enthusiasts, and Skeptics

*The following SNS comments are "reconstructed examples" based on the news content and general trends in reactions to scientific news, and do not refer to any specific real accounts.*

Despite being newly released, this news is gradually being shared among communities interested in science news on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Threads, and Reddit. The posts can generally be categorized into three prominent types.

1. Romanticists: "After all, we are stardust"

Comments with a touch of sentimentality are common among general users who love space.

• "I hate the dust in my room, but thinking that I'm made from cosmic dust is complicated 😇 #Stardust"

• "The idea that cosmic dust could spark life is becoming more of a reality than science fiction."

Such posts receive many "likes," and secondary creations like illustrations and short stories using the phrase "born from stardust" are also being shared.

2. Science Cluster: "A Subtle but Extremely Important Result"

Accounts leaning towards researchers and science communicators are trying to position this achievement calmly, often linking to the paper and related research.

• "CO₂ + NH₃ + dust → ammonium carbamate. The key point is that they experimentally demonstrated acid-base catalysis at extremely low temperatures."

• "Rather than 'life was born from cosmic dust,' it's more about 'dust lowers the bottleneck for molecular evolution.'"

Some even introduce the 2020 study showing the "fluffy structure" of dust particles, explaining in long threads how "the story built up by the same group over 20 years connects here."Phys.org

3. Skeptics and Critics: "So, Can Life Really Be Created?"

On the other hand, there are strong voices emphasizing, "That doesn't mean life itself was created."

• "We know ammonium carbamate was formed, but the path from there to cells or DNA is still shrouded in mystery."

• "The headline 'Approaching the Origin of Life' is overblown. This is about the 'stage before the stage before the stage.'"

Such critiques are closer to the cautious stance of researchers. The paper clearly states that it demonstrated one of the conditions for the formation of complex organic molecules, not "life itself."Phys.org

Reimagining the Origin of Life

So, how much does this research reshape the scenario of the origin of life?

Traditionally, the "primordial ocean of Earth" was the main stage. Organic molecules falling from space, volcanic activity, and lightning provided energy, and chemical reactions proceeded in a soup-like environment—this is the image of the "primordial soup."

However, over the past decade or so, an "upstream" story has emerged.

1. It is highly likely that quite complex organic molecules had already evolved inside cosmic dust and asteroids.Phys.org

2. These