Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
Nanoplanet Consulting, Concord, Massachusetts, USA.
Astrobiology. 2024 Apr;24(4):386-396. doi: 10.1089/ast.2023.0082. Epub 2024 Mar 18.
Scientists have long speculated about the potential habitability of Venus, not at the 700K surface, but in the cloud layers located at 48-60 km altitudes, where temperatures match those found on Earth's surface. However, the prevailing belief has been that Venus' clouds cannot support life due to the cloud chemical composition of concentrated sulfuric acid-a highly aggressive solvent. In this work, we study 20 biogenic amino acids at the range of Venus' cloud sulfuric acid concentrations (81% and 98% w/w, the rest water) and temperatures. We find 19 of the biogenic amino acids we tested are either unreactive (13 in 98% w/w and 12 in 81% w/w) or chemically modified in the side chain only, after 4 weeks. Our major finding, therefore, is that the amino acid backbone remains intact in concentrated sulfuric acid. These findings significantly broaden the range of biologically relevant molecules that could be components of a biochemistry based on a concentrated sulfuric acid solvent.
科学家们长期以来一直推测金星的潜在宜居性，不是在 700K 的表面，而是在位于 48-60km 高度的云层中，那里的温度与地球表面的温度相匹配。然而，人们普遍认为，由于硫酸的云化学成分是浓度极高的硫酸——一种极具腐蚀性的溶剂，金星的云层无法支持生命。在这项工作中，我们研究了 20 种生物成因的氨基酸，范围是金星云层中硫酸的浓度（81%和 98%w/w，其余为水）和温度。我们发现，我们测试的 19 种生物成因的氨基酸要么是无反应的（在 98%w/w 中有 13 种，在 81%w/w 中有 12 种），要么只是在侧链上发生化学修饰，4 周后。因此，我们的主要发现是，氨基酸主链在浓硫酸中保持完整。这些发现极大地拓宽了生物学相关分子的范围，这些分子可能是基于浓硫酸溶剂的生物化学的组成部分。
