Prebiotically plausible chemoselective pantetheine synthesis in water. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38386754/)

These scientists wanted to understand how a very important molecule called pantetheine might have formed on Earth a long time ago when life was just starting. Pantetheine is made up of smaller parts that are also important for life. They tried different chemical reactions in water to see if they could make pantetheine from simple ingredients like pantoic acid and amino acids. They found a way to make pantetheine in a very efficient and selective manner, which means they were able to control how the molecule formed. This study suggests that pantetheine could have been present at the beginning of life on Earth, playing a crucial role in the development of living organisms.

Fairchild J., Islam S., Singh J., Bucar DK., Powner MW. Prebiotically plausible chemoselective pantetheine synthesis in water. Science. 2024 Feb 23;383(6685):911-918. doi: 10.1126/science.adk4432. Epub 2024 Feb 22.