Research Projects

Carbonaceous chondrites are the most primitive materials in the solar system, comprising up to several percent carbon, mostly organic (Sephton et al., 2000), preserving a molecular record of prebiotic history and early planetary accretion processes. These meteorites contain a wide array of organic compounds, including hydrocarbons, nucleic acids, amino acids, heterocycles, organohalogens, and other complex macromolecules, believed to be remnants from the solar nebula and potentially even from interstellar sources (Sephton, 2013; Zeichner et al., 2023). Such meteorites are the fragments of asteroids that have dodged the extraterrestrial geological processes experienced by early-forming planets, allowing them to retain much of their chemical integrity. Understanding the composition and molecular architecture of these organic constituents provides a crucial window into the chemical evolution that preceded life on Earth. Among these meteorites, the Murchison meteorite, which fell in 1969, remains one of the most extensively studied extraterrestrial objects (Koga and Naraoka, 2017; Pering and Ponnamperuma, 1971; Sephton et al., 2004, and references therein). However, despite significant global progress, India’s scientific engagement in the molecular-level characterization of carbonaceous chondrites remains limited, even though the country holds a rich meteorite repository with immense research potential. This proposal aims to initiate India’s first comprehensive molecular-level characterization of extraterrestrial organic matter (OM), leveraging the advanced analytical capabilities available at the Organic Geochemistry Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay. The core hypothesis is that carbonaceous chondrites preserve distinct molecular signatures that can reveal prebiotic chemical pathways and early solar system processes, and that these signatures can be deconvoluted using high-resolution organic geochemical techniques. Through solvent extraction, fractionation, and detailed molecular analyses using GC-MS, GC × GC-ToF-MS, Pyrolysis-GC-MS, GC-MS/MS, High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS; GC-Orbitrap-MS), and hydrous pyrolysis simulations, this study will investigate the diversity, distribution, thermal maturity, and parent-body alteration history of organic compounds within selected meteorites from the Indian collection. The project will deliver constructive insights into the molecular composition, stability, and transformation pathways of meteoritic OM, advancing our understanding of complex extraterrestrial organic systems and offering meaningful comparisons with terrestrial organic geochemistry of Earth. The expected outcomes will significantly advance India’s presence in Earth and Planetary Science research, enhance the scientific value of the national meteorite collection, and contribute to the global understanding of chemical evolution relevant to the origins of life.