A NASA space probe ("Stardust") collected dust from the tail of comet "Wild 2" and sent the canister back to Earth. Scientists discovered that the dust contained microscopic traces of the amino acid glycine, a fundamental building block of proteins.
The find provides strong evidence that at least some of the ingredients for life on Earth may have arrived here from outer space. And also proves that the building blocks of life are prevalent in the universe, not just on Earth.
"The discovery of glycine in a comet supports the idea that the fundamental building blocks of life are prevalent in space, and strengthens the argument that life in the universe may be common rather than rare," said Carl Pilcher, the director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute in California, which co-funded the research.http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE57H02I20090818
