"Nickelback": Scientists Identify Molecule That Could Have Began Life On Earth

The history of the earth and the origin of the planet have always been topics of discussion and research among scientists. Based on research, Hoyle's steady state theory and the Big Bang theory were developed, and both have fascinated civilization.

A recent finding that has been made along a similar path may greatly reveal the early history of the planet Earth.

A portion of a protein that could offer scientists hints for spotting planets on the cusp of supporting life has been discovered by a team of researchers from Rutgers University who have been committed to tracing the primordial origins of metabolism, a set of fundamental chemical reactions that first powered life on Earth.

The research, published in Science Advances, has important implications in the search for extraterrestrial life because it gives researchers a new clue to look for, said Vikas Nanda, a researcher at the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (CABM) at Rutgers.

According to a release by the institution, based on laboratory studies, Rutgers scientists say one of the most likely chemical candidates that kickstarted life was a simple peptide with two nickel atoms they are calling "Nickelback," not because it has anything to do with the Canadian rock band, but because its backbone nitrogen atoms bond two critical nickel atoms. A peptide is a constituent of a protein made up of a few elemental building blocks known as amino acids.

"Scientists believe that sometime between 3.5 and 3.8 billion years ago, there was a tipping point, something that kickstarted the change from prebiotic chemistry-molecules before life-to living, biological systems," said Nanda, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

"We believe the change was sparked by a few small precursor proteins that performed key steps in an ancient metabolic reaction. And we think we've found one of these 'pioneer peptides."