Colombian Scientists Find Cosmic Molecule that Rewrites Universe Origins

Some cosmic stories start in huge observatories in Europe or the United States. This one involves a Colombian group of scientists’ cosmic molecule discovery, starting partly in Medellin, where these scientists helped decode a strange chemical signal coming from the center of the galaxy.​

Their work led to the identification of a rare molecule in deep space, a tiny structure with no hydrogen atoms that could change how researchers think about the formation of the universe’s first building blocks.​

The Colombian‑led team behind the discovery

The cosmic molecule discovery brought together five Latin American scientists, four of them Colombian and one Brazilian, working in England, Brazil, and Colombia. The team was led by Albeiro Restrepo, a physicist at Universidad de Antioquia.​

Restrepo’s group had experience in quantum chemistry and astrochemistry, so they were used to reading the universe through equations and spectra instead of telescopes alone.​

Young researchers also played a key role. Chemist Santiago Gomez and astronomer Jhoan Londono joined as students and later helped interpret the data and present the results.​

The findings were strong enough to appear in Chemical Science, a journal from the Royal Society of Chemistry, which regularly publishes cutting‑edge work in the field.​

A hydrogen‑free molecule hiding in Sagitario B2

The new molecule was detected in Sagitario B2, a giant molecular cloud near the center of the Milky Way. This region has a mass of about 3 million suns and a diameter of around 150 light-years.​

Unlike most known interstellar molecules, the compound lacks hydrogen, the element that makes up more than 98% of the observable universe. That made it unusual and tricky to spot.​

Observations came from radio telescopes that recorded the radiation emitted by the cloud. Each molecule leaves a characteristic pattern, like a barcode, in the spectrum.​

Because its structure is unconventional, the signal had been overlooked in earlier surveys. Only now, with new analysis, did it stand out as something entirely different.​

Quantum chemistry from Medellin to the stars

To identify the molecule, the team ran quantum‑mechanical simulations from Colombia. These calculations predict how a given molecular structure should absorb or emit radiation at different frequencies.​

By comparing those theoretical spectra with the telescope data from Sagitario B2, the scientists matched a specific unsaturated molecule to the mysterious signal.​

Gomez explained that this compound seems to be widely spread in the cosmos and is a key step in forming amino acids and other prebiotic molecules. These are not life yet, but they act as chemical seeds.​

Londono added that molecules with such atypical composition can easily escape standard searches, which focus on more common hydrogen‑rich structures.​

What this means for the origin of life and the universe

High‑energy radiation from the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way’s center constantly hits Sagitario B2. That energy triggers complex reactions that can assemble unusual molecules such as the one just reported.​

The stability of the discovered structure suggests that similar compounds may exist in other harsh environments, acting as stepping stones toward more complex chemistry across the galaxy.​

According to theoretical chemist Jorge Ali Torres, identifying hydrogen‑free molecules in interstellar space helps connect the dots between simple atoms and the richer mix of compounds needed for life.​

He describes this molecule as a kind of “missing link” in the chemical evolution of the universe, one that brings scientists closer to explaining how matter became capable of biology.​

A boost for Colombian science and future research paths

Beyond the scientific details, the discovery shows that advanced astrochemistry can be done in Colombia when there is long‑term support for research groups and access to international collaborations.​

Londono and other team members point out that this success comes from combining observation time abroad with powerful computation and local talent in Medellin and other cities.​

The next steps include searching for related molecules in Sagitario B2 and other clouds, modeling how fast they form, and tracking how they might evolve into even more complex structures.​

These efforts could feed larger models of the universe’s chemical history and help refine scenarios for how planets, atmospheres, and eventually living systems emerge.​

A small molecule with a big Colombian signature

The hydrogen‑free molecule found in Sagitario B2 is tiny compared with stars or galaxies, yet its discovery opens a fresh chapter in the story of how the universe built the ingredients for life.​

For Colombia, it is also a sign that local universities and young scientists can leave their mark on some of the biggest questions in science, from the first moments of the cosmos to the origins of life itself.​