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  1. Content with the tag: “chirality

  2. Reflections of Chirality as a Possible Biomarker


    Scientists have come up with a novel way to detect life on other planets. Rather than try to measure the composition of atmospheres, they want to look at the chirality of light coming from the planet. “If the [planet’s] surface had just a collection of random chiral molecules, half would go left, half right,” says author T.A. Germer of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. “But life’s self-assembly means they all would go one way. It’s hard to imagine a planet’s surface exhibiting handedness without the presence of self assembly, which is an essential component of...

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  3. How Life Shatters Chemistry's Mirror


    Handedness, or “chirality,” is when molecules come in two forms that are mirror images of each other, like right- and left-handed gloves. Even though chiral molecules are produced equally in nature, life seems to prefer one hand over the other. The reason for this is a mystery that scientists are struggling to answer.

    Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

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