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Sticky Substance Discovered in Asteroid Bennu Samples

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This rubbery material is a first for space observations and likely originated during the early formation of the solar system as Bennu’s parent asteroid heated up. Initially soft and pliable, it hardened into an ancient “space gum” made up of a polymer rich in nitrogen and oxygen. The presence of such complex molecules may have contributed essential chemical precursors for the emergence of life on Earth, making their discovery in Bennu’s pristine samples crucial for scientists studying the origins of life and the potential for life beyond our planet.

Electron micrograph of particles taken from a Bennu sample. Image credit: Sandford et al., doi: 10.1038/s41550-025-02694-5.

Bennu’s parent asteroid originated from material in the solar nebula (the rotating cloud of gas and dust that formed our solar system) and was composed of various minerals and ice.

As the asteroid warmed from natural radiation, compounds known as carbamates were created through reactions involving ammonia and carbon dioxide.

Despite being water-soluble, carbamates can persist long enough to polymerize and interact with other molecules, forming larger, more complex chains that are water-resistant.

This indicates that the parent asteroid formed before it became a watery environment.

“With this unusual material, we may be observing one of the earliest transformations that occurred in this rock,” stated Dr. Scott Sandford, a researcher at NASA’s Ames Research Center.

“In this ancient asteroid, formed in the early epochs of our solar system, we are witnessing events close to the dawn of time.”

The study explored the properties of this gum-like substance from Bennu.

As more information was revealed, it became apparent that the material was deposited in layers over ice and mineral grains present on the asteroid.

This material was also flexible, resembling the texture of used gum or soft plastic.

During their analysis, researchers observed that this peculiar material could bend and create indentations when pressure was applied.

The object was translucent and became brittle upon radiation exposure, reminiscent of a lawn chair left outdoors for several seasons.

“Analyzing its chemical composition shows that it contains similar chemical groups found in polyurethane on Earth, thus making this Bennu material comparable to ‘space plastic’,” Dr. Sandford explained.

“However, the material from ancient asteroids goes beyond just being polyurethane, which is a structured polymer.”

“It has a more random assortment of connections, with varying elemental compositions for each particle.”

The team’s findings were published in the Journal on December 2, 2025, in Nature Astronomy.

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SA Sandford et al. Nitrogen- and oxygen-rich organic material indicates polymerization in preaqueous low-temperature chemistry in Bennu’s parent body. Nat Astron published online on December 2, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41550-025-02694-5

Source: www.sci.news

Sticky slime secretions aid snail robot in climbing inclines

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Snails have an unusual way of walking, which has been recreated in robots.

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Equipped with one large foot, the mucus-evacuation robot can effectively imitate the way snails crawl across surfaces, even steep ones.

“I always say that snails are like Michael Jackson to me. I don’t know how they move, but somehow the gliding is happening.” Saravana Prashanth Murali Babu at the University of Southern Denmark Presentation at the March General Meeting of the American Physical Society on March 4 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Fascinated by the shelled mollusk, Saravana and colleagues decided to build a large, soft, single-legged version of the snail and use it as the basis for a robot that moves like a snail.

Saravana explained in his presentation that the team chose to make the legs out of a soft material that could be partially inflated with a small pneumatic pump. Although the chemistry of snail mucus has been studied in detail, the way the snail’s legs move has only been hypothesized based on biologists’ observations, he says. These past studies propose that different parts of the snail’s foot impact the ground and leave the ground before impacting the ground again, and that their movements are not synchronized with each other. This creates a wave pattern across the foot, causing the snail to glide forward on the mucus.

Researchers have successfully reproduced this “pedal wave” motion, which can also expel mucus, in an experimental robot, allowing it to move forward and change direction without falling over. Saravana said that in some experiments, the robot was able to climb steep slopes.

Snail robot without shell

Saravana Prashanth Murali Babu/University of Southern Denmark

Although the bot is still in the experimental stage, Saravana hopes it will be the first robot ever to propel itself like a snail. To make it more self-contained, the team is experimenting with placing the pump inside a snail-like shell on top of the robot. A slightly larger plastic replica of a real snail’s shell, the shell contains electronics to remotely control the robot and emits mucus under the robot’s feet to mimic the slimy tracks of a real snail. It can also accommodate a syringe system for use.

But the team’s ultimate goal is to make the robot’s inflatable legs even softer, making it more like a real snail, whose body is mostly made of water. The researchers hope that a robot that successfully navigates on mucus could eventually inform the design of soft medical robots that can navigate inside the mucus-rich human body.

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Source: www.newscientist.com