Ø-scillation
Oscillating Chemistry in Zero Gravity and Beyond
Contributors | Maximilian N. Günther, Janusz Petkowski, Joel Villaseñor, Jessica Santivañéz, Zoe R Todd, Clara Sousa-Silva, Carson Smuts et al.
Credit: Maximilian N. Günther
How did life originate? Nobody knows. Life might not even be native to our Earth—it might have come from asteroids or the interstellar medium. While pioneering laboratory studies recently made progress for prebiotic (origin-of-life) chemistry, the question arises whether such reactions would also work in zero-gravity environments.
With Ø-scillation, we aim to achieve the first steps toward an answer using a proxy reaction: How does zero (and hyper-) gravity affect the reaction rates in oscillating reactions? In this study, we develop a robust, compact, and simplified version of the Briggs– Rauscher experiment, an oscillating chemistry event often called the iodine clock, which cycles through amber and blue colors. The hypothesis to be tested is that different gravity environments do not alter the reaction rates of the involved chemistry. If this can be confirmed, we just might be able to add another piece to the puzzle of life.
Credit: Maximilian N. Günther
Credit: Maximilian N. Günther
Credit: Carson Smuts
News & Publications
Life in space: Preparing for an increasingly tangible reality (MIT News)