Erythrulose Sugar Found in Interstellar Cloud Near Milky Way Center

Scientists have detected the four‑carbon sugar erythrulose in the interstellar medium of the molecular cloud G+0.693‑0.027, located near the centre of the Milky Way. The discovery was made using ultra‑sensitive surveys from two radio telescopes positioned in Spain and reported in Nature Astronomy. Lead author Izaskun Jimenez‑Serra said, “This finding was unexpected, as the prevailing view in astrochemistry is that interstellar molecules grow in size through the sequential addition of carbon atoms.” The sugar, also found on Earth in raspberries, is a key component of DNA and RNA backbones, supporting the idea that essential life‑building molecules can form in space and may have been delivered to early Earth during the Late Heavy Bombardment. Researchers highlighted that erythrulose appears far more abundantly than simpler three‑carbon sugars, reshaping theories about the chemical pathways that lead to life.