Mirror, Mirror

An interesting paper was published in the online advanced issue of PNAS.  Titled, “Molecular Asymmetry in Extraterrestrial Chemistry,” the researchers looked at the ratios of chemical isomers found on a “pristine meteorite.”  Because the isomeric ratios of biomolecules on earth (especially amino acids and sugars) are very specific, finding different ratios could help us learn a) how life might have started and evolved and b) what life might look like on other planets.