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Astronomers find sugar floating in space

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published July 15, 2026 at 12:06 PM EDT

Astronomers discover first ‘true sugar’ molecule floating in space, a tantalizing new clue in the search for life’s origins.

Erythrulose, the sugar found in raspberries, is the first complex sugar ever spotted beyond our solar system. The discovery may provide clues to the origins of life.

Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd speaks with Massachusetts Institute of Technology chemistry professor Brett McGuire.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.