Astronomers Detect Sugar Molecule in Deep Space for the First Time
For the first time, astronomers have discovered a sugar molecule (erythrulose) floating in interstellar space. The finding could shed light on how life's building blocks arrived on Earth.
First Sugar in Deep Space
Astronomers have detected a sugar molecule in the gas clouds of interstellar space for the first time in history. The molecule, erythrulose, has four carbon atoms and occurs naturally in some fruits on Earth. Its location 26,000 light-years away could help unravel the mystery of the origin of life on our planet.
The study, published this week in Nature Astronomy, was led by Izaskun Jiménez Serra. The team analyzed data from radio telescopes in Spain, identifying the molecule's signature in the microwave frequencies it emits as it rotates.
The Importance of Sugar Molecules
Sugar molecules are essential for life — they fuel cells and are part of RNA and DNA. Yet scientists still don't know how they accumulated in large enough quantities on early Earth. One possibility is that some molecules did not originate on the planet but arrived via meteorites.
For the new study, researchers focused on molecular cloud G+0.693−0.027, one of the most molecule-rich regions in the Milky Way. Located near the supermassive black hole at the galactic center, collisions with another cloud appear to have turned it into a chemical factory. Previously, researchers had detected alcohols, aldehydes, urea, ethanolamine, hydroxylamine, and dozens of other complex organic molecules. Now, sugar has joined the mix.
Cosmic Sugar Origins
The idea that some sugars might come from space gained traction in December 2025, when scientists confirmed that the asteroid Bennu contained ribose and other monosaccharides. Ribose is a fundamental sugar in RNA. The new study reveals another type of space sugar, this one from the ketose family. On Earth, it is found in tanning lotions and raspberries.
The data came from two radio telescopes in Spain — one at the Yebes Observatory northeast of Madrid, the other at the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimeter Range, located near a ski resort in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Researchers caution that the presence of sugars does not constitute evidence of extraterrestrial life, nor does it explain the origin of life on Earth. However, a growing number of studies indicate that the chemical building blocks associated with prebiotic chemistry can also be found in space. The new work demonstrates for the first time that an interstellar monosaccharide can be synthesized.
