Life may exist in Titan Saturn’s moon

Researchers discovered the molecule, vinyl cyanide (acrylonitrile), for a “ protocell” that might be stable and flexible in liquid methane, “ according to astronomer Jonathan Lunine from Cornell  Chemical engineers. Scientists have found the first indisputable evidence of the presence of a molecule – acrylonitrile – on Titan, which may be key to exotic life on the methane based oxygen-free moon of Saturn.

This is a major step forward in understanding if Titan’s methane seas might host an exotic form of life said Lunine. “ Saturn’s moon, Enceladus is the place to search for life like us,  a life that depends on- and exists in- liquid water. Titan, is also the place to go to seek the outer limits of life- can some exotic type of life begin and evolve in a truly alien environment, that of liquid methane?” according to Jonathan Lunine.

According to Paulette Clancy, chemical and biological engineer at Cornell, this confirmation suggests that future collaborations between computational approaches and mining of the experimental data can lead to breakthroughs in understanding worlds alien to our own.