The discovery of a previously unknown reaction pathway for the formation of urea has shed new light on the origins of life. A research team led by Ruth Signorell, Professor of Physical Chemistry at ETH Zurich, has made this groundbreaking finding, which has been published in the journal Science.

Until now, the industrial production of urea required high pressures and temperatures or chemical catalysts. However, enzymes enable the same reaction to take place in humans and animals, removing toxic ammonia from the breakdown of proteins such as urea. As this simple molecule contains nitrogen as well as carbon and probably existed on the uninhabited Early Earth, many researchers view urea as a possible precursor for complex biomolecules.

Signorell’s team studied tiny water droplets, such as those found in sea spray and fine mist. The researchers observed that urea can form spontaneously from carbon dioxide (CO2) and ammonia (NH₃) in the surface layer of the droplets under ambient conditions. This remarkable reaction takes place without any external energy supply.

The physical interface between air and liquid creates a special chemical environment at the water surface that makes the spontaneous reaction possible. Chemical concentration gradients form in this area, which acts like a microscopic reactor. The pH gradient across the interfacial layer of the water droplets creates the required acidic environment, which opens unconventional pathways that would otherwise not take place in liquids.

The results suggest that this natural reaction could also have been possible in the atmosphere of the Early Earth — an atmosphere that was rich in CO2 and probably contained small traces of ammonia. In such environments, aqueous aerosols or fog droplets could have acted as natural reactors in which precursor molecules such as urea were formed.

In the long term, the direct reaction of CO2 and ammonia under ambient conditions could also have potential for the climate-friendly production of urea and downstream products. This study opens a new window into the early days of the Earth and provides valuable insights into processes that could be significant for evolution.

The discovery of this spontaneous reaction pathway has significant implications for our understanding of the origins of life. It suggests that seemingly mundane interfaces can become dynamic reaction spaces, and biological molecules may have a more common origin than was previously thought.

As scientists continue to unravel the mysteries of the human microbiome, a team of researchers has made a groundbreaking discovery about the lung bacteria Pandoraea. These microbes have long been associated with disease-causing properties, but new research reveals that they also possess remarkable survival strategies, including the ability to forge iron-stealing weapons to thrive in challenging environments.

At the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), researchers led by Elena Herzog have been studying Pandoraea bacteria, which are known to be pathogenic but also produce natural products with antibacterial effects. The team’s investigation has shed light on how these bacteria manage to survive in iron-poor environments within the human body.

Iron plays a vital role in living organisms, including bacteria, as it is essential for enzymes and the respiratory chain. However, in environments like the human body, where iron is scarce, microorganisms must adapt to compete for this essential resource. Pandoraea bacteria have developed a unique strategy by producing siderophores – small molecules that bind iron from their environment and transport it into the cell.

The researchers identified a previously unknown gene cluster called pan, which codes for a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase enzyme responsible for the production of siderophores. Through targeted inactivation of genes and advanced analytical techniques, they isolated two new natural products, Pandorabactin A and B, which can complex iron and play an important role in how Pandoraea strains survive.

Moreover, bioassays revealed that pandorabactins inhibit the growth of other bacteria by removing iron from these competitors. The researchers also analyzed sputum samples from cystic fibrosis patients, finding that the detection of the pan gene cluster correlates with changes in the lung microbiome. This suggests that pandorabactins could have a direct influence on microbial communities in diseased lungs.

While the study’s findings are still preliminary and not yet suitable for medical applications, they provide valuable insights into the survival strategies of Pandoraea bacteria and the complex competition for vital resources within the human body. As researchers continue to explore the intricacies of the microbiome, this discovery paves the way for further investigation and potentially innovative treatments in the future.

For centuries, it has been believed that insects are unable to perceive the color red. While this limitation may have seemed absolute, a recent study has revealed that two species of beetles from the eastern Mediterranean region possess the ability to see a spectrum that includes red light. This groundbreaking discovery challenges our understanding of insect vision and opens up new avenues for research in the fields of ecology and evolution.

The researchers behind this breakthrough are an international team led by Dr. Johannes Spaethe from the University of Würzburg in Germany, along with colleagues from Slovenia and the Netherlands. They used a combination of electrophysiology, behavioral experiments, and color trapping to demonstrate that Pygopleurus chrysonotus and Pygopleurus syriacus, both members of the Glaphyridae family, are capable of perceiving deep red light in addition to ultraviolet, blue, and green light.

These beetles have four types of photoreceptors in their retinas that respond to different wavelengths of light, including the elusive red spectrum. The scientists conducted field experiments to observe how these beetles use true color vision to identify targets and distinguish between colors. Their results show a clear preference for red hues among the two species.

This discovery not only shatters our long-held assumption about insect color perception but also presents a new model system for studying the visual ecology of beetles and the evolution of flower signals. The Glaphyrid family, which comprises three genera with varying preferences for flower colors, offers a promising avenue for further research in this area.

The study’s findings have significant implications for our understanding of how pollinators adapt to their environments. Traditionally, it was believed that flower colors evolved to match the visual capabilities of pollinators over time. However, the researchers suggest that this scenario might not be universal and propose an alternative: that the visual systems of some pollinators, such as these Mediterranean beetles, may actually adapt to the diversity of flower colors in their environments.

This paradigm shift has sparked new questions about the ecology and evolution of pollinator-plant interactions. The study’s authors encourage further research into this area, highlighting the complex relationships between species that have evolved over millions of years. As we continue to unravel the mysteries of insect vision and behavior, we may discover even more surprising abilities among these tiny creatures that captivate us with their intricate social structures and incredible adaptability.