Nanoscale infrared imaging analysis of carbonaceous chondrites to understand organic-mineral interactions during aqueous alteration.

Organic matter in carbonaceous chondrites is distributed in fine-grained matrix. To understand pre- and postaccretion history of organic matter and its association with surrounding minerals, microscopic techniques are mandatory. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a useful technique, but the spatial resolution of IR is limited to a few micrometers, due to the diffraction limit. In this study, we applied the high spatial resolution IR imaging method to CM2 carbonaceous chondrites Murchison and Bells, which is based on an atomic force microscopy (AFM) with its tip detecting thermal expansion of a sample resulting from absorption of infrared radiation. We confirmed that this technique permits ∼30 nm spatial resolution organic analysis for the meteorite samples. The IR imaging results are consistent with the previously reported association of organic matter and phyllosilicates, but our results are at much higher spatial resolution. This observation of heterogeneous distributions of the functional groups of organic matter revealed its association with minerals at ∼30 nm spatial resolution in meteorite samples by IR spectroscopy.

Alteration and Stability of Complex Macromolecular Amino Acid Precursors in Hydrothermal Environments.

The early Solar System comprised a broad area of abiotically created organic compounds, including interstellar organics which were integrated into planetesimals and parent bodies of meteorites, and eventually delivered to the early Earth. In this study, we simulated interstellar complex organic compounds synthesized by proton irradiation of a gas mixture of CO, NH3, and H2O, which are known to release amino acids after acid hydrolysis on the basis of Kobayashi et al. (1999) who reported that at the first stage of chemical evolution, the main compounds formed abiotically are complex organic compounds with high molecular weights. We examined their possible hydrothermal alteration and stabilities as amino acid precursors under high temperature and pressure conditions simulating parent bodies of meteorites by using an autoclave. We reported that all samples treated at 200-300 °C predominantly released glycine and alanine, followed by α-aminobutyric acid, and serine. After heating, amino acid concentrations decreased in general; however, the recovery ratios of γ-aminobutyric acid increased with temperature. The interstellar complex organic analog could maintain as amino acid precursors after being treated at high temperature (200-300 °C) and pressure (8-14 MPa). However, the molecular structures were altered during heating to form organic compounds that are more stable and can survive in elevated hydrothermal conditions.

Fluorescence imaging of microbe-containing particles shot from a two-stage Light-gas gun into an aerogel.

We have proposed an experiment (the Tanpopo mission) to capture microbes on the Japan Experimental Module of the International Space Station. An ultra low-density silica aerogel will be exposed to space for more than 1 year. After retrieving the aerogel, particle tracks and particles found in it will be visualized by fluorescence microscopy after staining it with a DNA-specific fluorescence dye. In preparation for this study, we simulated particle trapping in an aerogel so that methods could be developed to visualize the particles and their tracks. During the Tanpopo mission, particles that have an orbital velocity of ~8 km/s are expected to collide with the aerogel. To simulate these collisions, we shot Deinococcus radiodurans-containing Lucentite particles into the aerogel from a two-stage light-gas gun (acceleration 4.2 km/s). The shapes of the captured particles, and their tracks and entrance holes were recorded with a microscope/camera system for further analysis. The size distribution of the captured particles was smaller than the original distribution, suggesting that the particles had fragmented. We were able to distinguish between microbial DNA and inorganic compounds after staining the aerogel with the DNA-specific fluorescence dye SYBR green I as the fluorescence of the stained DNA and the autofluorescence of the inorganic particles decay at different rates. The developed methods are suitable to determine if microbes exist at the International Space Station altitude.

Gamma-Ray-Induced Amino Acid Formation during Aqueous Alteration in Small Bodies: The Effects of Compositions of Starting Solutions.

Organic compounds, such as amino acids, are essential for the origin of life, and they may have been delivered to the prebiotic Earth from extra-terrestrial sources, such as carbonaceous chondrites. In the parent bodies of carbonaceous chondrites, the radioactive decays of short-lived radionuclides, such as 26Al, cause the melting of ice, and aqueous alteration occurs in the early stages of solar system formation. Many experimental studies have shown that complex organic matter, including amino acids and high-molecular-weight organic compounds, is produced by such hydrothermal processes. On the other hand, radiation, particularly gamma rays from radionuclides, can contribute to the formation of amino acids from simple molecules such as formaldehyde and ammonia. In this study, we investigated the details of gamma-ray-induced amino acid formation, focusing on the effects of different starting materials on aqueous solutions of formaldehyde, ammonia, methanol, and glycolaldehyde with various compositions, as well as hexamethylenetetramine. Alanine and glycine were the most abundantly formed amino acids after acid hydrolysis of gamma-ray-irradiated products. Amino acid formation increased with increasing gamma-ray irradiation doses. Lower amounts of ammonia relative to formaldehyde produced more amino acids. Glycolaldehyde significantly increased amino acid yields. Our results indicated that glycolaldehyde formation from formaldehyde enhanced by gamma rays is key for the subsequent production of amino acids.

Survivability and abiotic reactions of selected amino acids in different hydrothermal system simulators.

We tested the stability and reaction of several amino acids using hydrothermal system simulators: an autoclave and two kinds of flow reactors at 200-250 °C. This study generally showed that there is a variation in the individual amino acids survivability in the simulators. This is mainly attributed to the following factors; heat time, cold quenching exposure, metal ions and also silica. We observed that, in a rapid heating flow reactor, high aggregation and/or condensation of amino acids could occur even during a heat exposure of 2 min. We also monitored their stability in a reflow-type of simulator for 120 min at 20 min intervals. The non-hydrolyzed and hydrolyzed samples for this system showed a similar degradation only in the absence of metal ions.

The possible interplanetary transfer of microbes: assessing the viability of Deinococcus spp. under the ISS Environmental conditions for performing exposure experiments of microbes in the Tanpopo mission.

To investigate the possible interplanetary transfer of life, numerous exposure experiments have been carried out on various microbes in space since the 1960s. In the Tanpopo mission, we have proposed to carry out experiments on capture and space exposure of microbes at the Exposure Facility of the Japanese Experimental Module of the International Space Station (ISS). Microbial candidates for the exposure experiments in space include Deinococcus spp.: Deinococcus radiodurans, D. aerius and D. aetherius. In this paper, we have examined the survivability of Deinococcus spp. under the environmental conditions in ISS in orbit (i.e., long exposure to heavy-ion beams, temperature cycles, vacuum and UV irradiation). A One-year dose of heavy-ion beam irradiation did not affect the viability of Deinococcus spp. within the detection limit. Vacuum (10(-1) Pa) also had little effect on the cell viability. Experiments to test the effects of changes in temperature from 80 °C to -80 °C in 90 min (± 80 °C/90 min cycle) or from 60 °C to -60 °C in 90 min (± 60 °C/90 min cycle) on cell viability revealed that the survival rate decreased severely by the ± 80 °C/90 min temperature cycle. Exposure of various thicknesses of deinococcal cell aggregates to UV radiation (172 nm and 254 nm, respectively) revealed that a few hundred micrometer thick aggregate of deinococcal cells would be able to withstand the solar UV radiation on ISS for 1 year. We concluded that aggregated deinococcal cells will survive the yearlong exposure experiments. We propose that microbial cells can aggregate as an ark for the interplanetary transfer of microbes, and we named it 'massapanspermia'.

A Comparative Study of Methods for Detecting Extraterrestrial Life in Exploration Missions to Mars and the Solar System II: Targeted Characteristics, Detection Techniques, and Their Combination for Survey, Detection, and Analysis.

We present a comparative study of the methods used in the search for extraterrestrial microorganism life, including a summary table where different life-detection techniques can be easily compared as an aid to mission and instrument design aimed at life detection. This is an extension of previous study, where detection techniques for a series of target characteristics and molecules that could constitute a positive life detection were evaluated. This comparison has been extended with a particular consideration to sources of false positives, the causes of negative detection, the results of detection techniques when presented regarding terrestrial life, and additional science objectives that could be achieved outside the primary aim of detecting life. These additions address both the scientific and programmatic side of exploration mission design, where a successful proposal must demonstrate probable outcomes and be able to return valuable results even if no life is found. The applicability of the life detection techniques is considered for Earth life, Earth-independent life (life emerging independently from that on Earth,) and Earth-kin life (sharing a common ancestor with life on Earth), and techniques effective in detecting Earth life should also be useful in the detection of Earth-kin life. However, their applicability is not guaranteed for Earth-independent life. As found in our previous study, there exists no realistic single detection method that can conclusively determine the discovery of extraterrestrial life, and no method is superior to all others. In this study, we further consider combinations of detection techniques and identify imaging as a valuable addition to molecule detection methods, even in cases where there is insufficient resolution to observe the detailed morphology of a microbial cell. The search for extraterrestrial life is further divided into a survey-and-detection and analysis-and-conclusion step. These steps benefit from different detection techniques, but imaging is necessary for both parts.

Formation of Amino Acids and Carboxylic Acids in Weakly Reducing Planetary Atmospheres by Solar Energetic Particles from the Young Sun.

Life most likely started during the Hadean Eon; however, the environmental conditions which contributed to the complexity of its chemistry are poorly known. A better understanding of various environmental conditions, including global (heliospheric) and local (atmospheric, surface, and oceanic), along with the internal dynamic conditions of the early Earth, are required to understand the onset of abiogenesis. Herein, we examine the contributions of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar energetic particles (SEPs) associated with superflares from the young Sun to the formation of amino acids and carboxylic acids in weakly reduced gas mixtures representing the early Earth's atmosphere. We also compare the products with those introduced by lightning events and solar ultraviolet light (UV). In a series of laboratory experiments, we detected and characterized the formation of amino acids and carboxylic acids via proton irradiation of a mixture of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen, and water in various mixing ratios. These experiments show the detection of amino acids after acid hydrolysis when 0.5% (v/v) of initial methane was introduced to the gas mixture. In the set of experiments with spark discharges (simulation of lightning flashes) performed for the same gas mixture, we found that at least 15% methane was required to detect the formation of amino acids, and no amino acids were detected in experiments via UV irradiation, even when 50% methane was used. Carboxylic acids were formed in non-reducing gas mixtures (0% methane) by proton irradiation and spark discharges. Hence, we suggest that GCRs and SEP events from the young Sun represent the most effective energy sources for the prebiotic formation of biologically important organic compounds from weakly reducing atmospheres. Since the energy flux of space weather, which generated frequent SEPs from the young Sun in the first 600 million years after the birth of the solar system, was expected to be much greater than that of GCRs, we conclude that SEP-driven energetic protons are the most promising energy sources for the prebiotic production of bioorganic compounds in the atmosphere of the Hadean Earth.

Prebiotic organic microstructures.

Micro- and sub-micrometer spheres, tubules and fiber-filament soft structures have been synthesized in our experiments conducted with 3 MeV proton irradiations of a mixture of simple inorganic constituents, CO, N(2) and H(2)O. We analysed the irradiation products, with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). These laboratory organic structures produced a wide variety of proteinaceous and non-proteinaceous amino acids after HCl hydrolysis. The enantiomer analysis for D,L-alanine confirmed that the amino acids were abiotically synthesized during the laboratory experiment. We discuss the presence of CO(2) and the production of H(2) during exothermic processes of serpentinization and consequently we discuss the production of hydrothermal CO in a ferromagnesian silicate mineral environment. We also discuss the low intensity of the Earth's magnetic field during the Paleoarchaean Era and consequently we conclude that excitation sources arising from cosmic radiation were much more abundant during this Era. We then show that our laboratory prebiotic microstructures might be synthesized during the Archaean Eon, as a product of the serpentinization process of the rocks and of their mineral contents.

The use of ascorbate as an oxidation inhibitor in prebiotic amino acid synthesis: a cautionary note.

It is generally thought that the terrestrial atmosphere at the time of the origin of life was CO(2)-rich and that organic compounds such as amino acids would not have been efficiently formed abiotically under such conditions. It has been pointed out, however, that the previously reported low yields of amino acids may have been partially due to oxidation by nitrite/nitrate during acid hydrolysis. Specifically, the yield of amino acids was found to have increased significantly (by a factor of several hundred) after acid hydrolysis with ascorbic acid as an oxidation inhibitor. However, it has not been shown that CO(2) was the carbon source for the formation of the amino acids detected after acid hydrolysis with ascorbic acid. We therefore reinvestigated the prebiotic synthesis of amino acids in a CO(2)-rich atmosphere using an isotope labeling experiment. Herein, we report that ascorbic acid does not behave as an appropriate oxidation inhibitor, because it contributes amino acid contaminants as a consequence of its reactions with the nitrogen containing species and formic acid produced during the spark discharge experiment. Thus, amino acids are not efficiently formed from a CO(2)-rich atmosphere under the conditions studied.

Photostability of Iiovaline and its precursor 5-Ethyl-5- methylhydantoin exposed to simulated space radiations.

Aqueous solutions of isovaline and its precursor molecule, 5-ethyl-5-methylhydantoin, were irradiated with ultraviolet and γ-ray photons, to evaluate their structural stability against space radiation. The degree of photolysis was measured and irradiation products were identified using chiral, reversed-phase and ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography. The experimental results show that the degree of photolysis of 5-ethyl-5-methylhydantoin is more significant than that of isovaline under ultraviolet light irradiation, while the results under γ-ray irradiation are the opposite. As the products of isovaline photolysis, aspartic acid, serine, glutamic acid and alanine were dominantly detected.

Comparative study of methods for detecting extraterrestrial life in exploration mission of Mars and the solar system.

The detection and analysis of extraterrestrial life are important issues of space science. Mars is among the most important planets to explore for extraterrestrial life, owing both to its physical properties and to its ancient and present environments as revealed by previous exploration missions. In this paper, we present a comparative study of methods for detecting extraterrestrial life and life-related substances. To this end, we have classified and summarized the characteristics targeted for the detection of extraterrestrial life in solar system exploration mission and the methods used to evaluate them. A summary table is presented. We conclude that at this moment (i) there is no realistic single detection method capable of concluding the discovery of extraterrestrial life, (ii) no single method has an advantage over the others in all respects, and (iii) there is no single method capable of distinguishing extraterrestrial life from terrestrial life. Therefore, a combination of complementary methods is essential. We emphasize the importance of endeavoring to detect extraterrestrial life without overlooking possible alien life forms, even at the cost of tolerating false positives. Summaries of both the targets and the detection methods should be updated continuously, and comparative studies of both should be pursued. Although this study assumes Mars to be a model site for the primary environment for life searches, both the targets and detection methods described herein will also be useful for searching for extraterrestrial life in any celestial environment and for the initial inspection of returned samples.

Comparison of stepwise and single-step pyrolysis GC/MS for natural complex macromolecular organic matter.

Pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is a useful technique for the analysis of complex organic matter. However, the pyrolysis temperatures must be carefully chosen to maximize the information obtained and, in parallel, minimize byproducts. One solution to accomplish this is the stepwise pyrolysis method, which has been employed to analyze complex mixtures of natural samples. Here, we compared the stepwise pyrolysis method to a suite of single-step pyrolysis runs using the same temperatures by employing a humic acid standard sample, to evaluate the advantage of the stepwise pyrolysis method. In addition, we conducted in-situ heating experiments of the humic acid under infrared microspectroscopy to observe changes in the functional groups during the stepwise pyrolysis process. Results showed that O-bearing components were released at relatively low temperatures, whereas aromatic components were released at higher temperatures, indicating that the stepwise method effectively separates labile and refractory fractions. As such, the stepwise method would be useful for analyzing limited amounts of samples, such as for extraterrestrial materials as well as for payload instruments onboard space missions.

Gamma-Ray-Induced Amino Acid Formation in Aqueous Small Bodies in the Early Solar System.

Carbonaceous chondrites contain life's essential building blocks, including amino acids, and their delivery of organic compounds would have played a key role in life's emergence on Earth. Aqueous alteration of carbonaceous chondrites is a widespread process induced by the heat produced by radioactive decay of nuclides like 26Al. Simple ubiquitous molecules like formaldehyde and ammonia could produce various organic compounds, including amino acids and complex organic macromolecules. However, the effects of radiation on such organic chemistry are unknown. Hence, the effects of gamma rays from radioactive decays on the formation of amino acids in meteorite parent bodies are demonstrated here. We discovered that gamma-ray irradiation of aqueous formaldehyde and ammonia solutions afforded a variety of amino acids. The amino acid yields had a linear relationship with the total gamma-ray dose but were unaffected by the irradiation dose rates. Given the gamma-ray production rates in the meteorite parent bodies, we estimated that the production rates were reasonable compared to amino acid abundances in carbonaceous chondrites. Our findings indicate that gamma rays may contribute to amino acid formation in parent bodies during aqueous alteration. In this paper, we propose a new prebiotic amino acid formation pathway that contributes to life's origin.

Synthesis of Organic Matter in Aqueous Environments Simulating Small Bodies in the Solar System and the Effects of Minerals on Amino Acid Formation.

The extraterrestrial delivery of organics to primitive Earth has been supported by many laboratory and space experiments. Minerals played an important role in the evolution of meteoritic organic matter. In this study, we simulated aqueous alteration in small bodies by using a solution mixture of H2CO and NH3 in the presence of water at 150 °C under different heating durations, which produced amino acids after acid hydrolysis. Moreover, minerals were added to the previous mixture to examine their catalyzing/inhibiting impact on amino acid formation. Without minerals, glycine was the dominant amino acid obtained at 1 d of the heating experiment, while alanine and ß-alanine increased significantly and became dominant after 3 to 7 d. Minerals enhanced the yield of amino acids at short heating duration (1 d); however, they induced their decomposition at longer heating duration (7 d). Additionally, montmorillonite enhanced amino acid production at 1 d, while olivine and serpentine enhanced production at 3 d. Molecular weight distribution in the whole of the products obtained by gel chromatography showed that minerals enhanced both decomposition and combination of molecules. Our results indicate that minerals affected the formation of amino acids in aqueous environments in small Solar System bodies and that the amino acids could have different response behaviors according to different minerals.

Scientific Targets of Tanpopo: Astrobiology Exposure and Micrometeoroid Capture Experiments at the Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility of the International Space Station.

The Tanpopo experiment was the first Japanese astrobiology mission on board the Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility on the International Space Station (ISS). The experiments were designed to address two important astrobiological topics, panspermia and the chemical evolution process toward the generation of life. These experiments also tested low-density aerogel and monitored the microdebris environment around low Earth orbit. The following six subthemes were identified to address these goals: (1) Capture of microbes in space: Estimation of the upper limit of microbe density in low Earth orbit; (2) Exposure of microbes in space: Estimation of the survival time course of microbes in the space environment; (3) Capture of cosmic dust on the ISS and analysis of organics: Detection of the possible presence of organic compounds in cosmic dust; (4) Alteration of organic compounds in space environments: Evaluation of decomposition time courses of organic compounds in space; (5) Space verification of the Tanpopo hyper-low-density aerogel: Durability and particle-capturing capability of aerogel; (6) Monitoring of the number of space debris: Time-dependent change in space debris environment. Subthemes 1 and 2 address the panspermia hypothesis, whereas 3 and 4 address the chemical evolution. The last two subthemes contribute to space technology development. Some of the results have been published previously or are included in this issue. This article summarizes the current status of the Tanpopo experiments.

Space Exposure of Amino Acids and Their Precursors during the Tanpopo Mission.

Amino acids have been detected in extraterrestrial bodies such as carbonaceous chondrites (CCs), which suggests that extraterrestrial organics could be the source of the first life on Earth, and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) or micrometeorites (MMs) are promising carriers of extraterrestrial organic carbon. Some amino acids found in CCs are amino acid precursors, but these have not been well characterized. The Tanpopo mission was conducted in Earth orbit from 2015 to 2019, and the stability of glycine (Gly), hydantoin (Hyd), isovaline (Ival), 5-ethyl-5-methylhydantoin (EMHyd), and complex organics formed by proton irradiation from CO, NH3, and H2O (CAW) in space were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and/or gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The target substances showed a logarithmic decomposition over 1-3 years upon space exposure. Recoveries of Gly and CAW were higher than those of Hyd, Ival, and EMHyd. Ground simulation experiments showed different results: Hyd was more stable than Gly. Solar ultraviolet light was fatal to all organics, and they required protection when carried by IDPs/MMs. Thus, complex amino acid precursors (such as CAW) were possibly more robust than simple precursors during transportation to primitive Earth. The Tanpopo 2 mission is currently being conducted to expose organics to more probable space conditions.

Biogeography and biodiversity in sulfide structures of active and inactive vents at deep-sea hydrothermal fields of the Southern Mariana Trough.

The abundance, diversity, activity, and composition of microbial communities in sulfide structures both of active and inactive vents were investigated by culture-independent methods. These sulfide structures were collected at four hydrothermal fields, both on- and off-axis of the back-arc spreading center of the Southern Mariana Trough. The microbial abundance and activity in the samples were determined by analyzing total organic content, enzymatic activity, and copy number of the 16S rRNA gene. To assess the diversity and composition of the microbial communities, 16S rRNA gene clone libraries including bacterial and archaeal phylotypes were constructed from the sulfide structures. Despite the differences in the geological settings among the sampling points, phylotypes related to the Epsilonproteobacteria and cultured hyperthermophilic archaea were abundant in the libraries from the samples of active vents. In contrast, the relative abundance of these phylotypes was extremely low in the libraries from the samples of inactive vents. These results suggest that the composition of microbial communities within sulfide structures dramatically changes depending on the degree of hydrothermal activity, which was supported by statistical analyses. Comparative analyses suggest that the abundance, activity and diversity of microbial communities within sulfide structures of inactive vents are likely to be comparable to or higher than those in active vent structures, even though the microbial community composition is different between these two types of vents. The microbial community compositions in the sulfide structures of inactive vents were similar to those in seafloor basaltic rocks rather than those in marine sediments or the sulfide structures of active vents, suggesting that the microbial community compositions on the seafloor may be constrained by the available energy sources. Our findings provide helpful information for understanding the biogeography, biodiversity and microbial ecosystems in marine environments.

Abundance of Zetaproteobacteria within crustal fluids in back-arc hydrothermal fields of the Southern Mariana Trough.

To extend knowledge of subseafloor microbial communities within the oceanic crust, the abundance, diversity and composition of microbial communities in crustal fluids at back-arc hydrothermal fields of the Southern Mariana Trough (SMT) were investigated using culture-independent molecular techniques based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. Seafloor drilling was carried out at two hydrothermal fields, on- and off-ridge of the back-arc spreading centre of the SMT. 16S rRNA gene clone libraries for bacterial and archaeal communities were constructed from the fluid samples collected from the boreholes. Phylotypes related to Thiomicrospira in the Gammaproteobacteria (putative sulfide-oxidizers) and Mariprofundus in the Zetaproteobacteria (putative iron-oxidizers) were recovered from the fluid samples. A number of unique archaeal phylotypes were also recovered. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis indicated the presence of active bacterial and archaeal populations in the fluids. The Zetaproteobacteria accounted for up to 32% of the total prokaryotic cell number as shown by FISH analysis using a specific probe designed in this study. Our results lead to the hypothesis that the Zetaproteobacteria play a role in iron oxidation within the oceanic crust.

Chirality emergence in thin solid films of amino acids by polarized light from synchrotron radiation and free electron laser.

One of the most attractive hypothesis for the origin of homochirality in terrestrial bioorganic compounds is that a kind of "chiral impulse" as an asymmetric excitation source induced asymmetric reactions on the surfaces of such materials such as meteorites or interstellar dusts prior to the existence of terrestrial life (Cosmic Scenario). To experimentally introduce chiral structure into racemic films of amino acids (alanine, phenylalanine, isovaline, etc.), we irradiated them with linearly polarized light (LPL) from synchrotron radiation and circularly polarized light (CPL) from a free electron laser. After the irradiation, we evaluated optical anisotropy by measuring the circular dichroism (CD) spectra and verified that new Cotton peaks appeared at almost the same peak position as those of the corresponding non-racemic amino acid films. With LPL irradiation, two-dimensional anisotropic structure expressed as linear dichroism and/or linear birefringence was introduced into the racemic films. With CPL irradiation, the signs of the Cotton peaks exhibit symmetrical structure corresponding to the direction of CPL rotation. This indicates that some kinds of chiral structure were introduced into the racemic film. The CD spectra after CPL irradiation suggest the chiral structure should be derived from not only preferential photolysis but also from photolysis-induced molecular structural change. These results suggest that circularly polarized light sources in space could be associated with the origin of terrestrial homochirality; that is, they would be effective asymmetric exciting sources introducing chiral structures into bio-organic molecules or complex organic compounds.