RUI: Synthesis of Sulfur Containing Amino Acids in Astrophysical Ices

RUI：天体物理冰中含硫氨基酸的合成

• 批准号: 1464843
• 负责人: Simon Garrett
• 金额: $ 18.11万
• 依托单位: The University Corporation, Northridge
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-09-01 至 2021-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1464843&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Synthesis; Sulfur; Containing; Amino

With this award, the Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanisms (CSDM-A) Program of the Division of Chemistry is funding Professor Simon Garrett of California State University-Northridge to investigate how amino acids can be formed from small molecules in extraterrestrial abiotic environments. They are attempting to synthesize amino acids in the laboratory by the radiolysis of astrophysical ice analogs containing suitable sources. The work is to proceed through a series of linked, short-term, experiments suitable for undergraduate students, providing them with a stimulating experience that will encourage enrollment in advanced degrees in STEM fields. Research that addresses the question of how life began on Earth and if it has evolved elsewhere can generate significant interest from the general public and the broad scientific community. Professor Garrett and his research group are conducting experiments on icy mixtures of H2O, acetonitrile and either H2S or OCS deposited in vacuum, irradiated by electrons and He+, and probed by mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and liquid chromatography. A central goal of this project is to be the first to produce sulfur-containing amino acids, notably cysteine and methionine, by adding a relevant sulfur source to the ices. Although laboratory experiments in astrophysical ice analogs have successfully generated a variety of amino acid precursors to date, sulfur containing cysteine and methionine have not been made, despite their importance in protein function and folding. An additional goal of this work is to pioneer in situ hydrolysis through the formation of a strong acid, sulfuric acid, since acid hydrolysis of irradiation residues in the ice is known to be necessary in producing amino acids.

有了这个奖项，化学划分的化学结构，动力学和机制（CSDM-A）计划是为加利福尼亚州立大学 - 荷里奇教授提供资金，以研究如何从外生物非生物环境中的小分子中形成氨基酸。他们试图通过含有合适来源的天体物理冰类似物的辐射分解来合成实验室中的氨基酸。 这项工作是要进行一系列适合本科生的链接，短期实验，为他们提供刺激性的体验，以鼓励在STEM领域的高级学位入学。解决了生命如何在地球上开始的问题以及在其他地方发展的问题，可以引起公众和广泛的科学界的重大兴趣。 Garrett教授和他的研究小组正在进行有关H2O，乙腈以及沉积在真空中的H2S或OC的冰混合物的实验，被电子和HE+辐照，并通过质谱，红外光谱，红外光谱，X射线光电光谱和液体冰淇淋术进行了探测。该项目的一个核心目标是成为第一个通过在冰中添加相关的硫源来生产含硫的氨基酸，尤其是半胱氨酸和蛋氨酸。尽管天体物理冰类似物的实验室实验已成功地产生了迄今为止的各种氨基酸前体，但尚未进行含有半胱氨酸和蛋氨酸的硫，尽管它们在蛋白质功能和折叠中的重要性。 这项工作的另一个目的是通过形成浓酸，硫酸的原位水解，因为已知在产生氨基酸的酸中需要对冰中的辐射残基的酸水解。