Bacterial spores and hydrocarbons in space  

 Danilo Anton

Spectroscopic studies of interstellar clouds of cosmic dust carried out by several astronomical observatories in recent years have shown that hydrocarbons are very abundant in the universe.

In particular, English astronomer Fred Hoyle and other members of his scientific team in British universities (Cambridge, Cardiff) contributed transcendent data about various organic molecules found in these clouds, including some, who had, the surprising spectral behavior of certain bacteria spores.

In 1968 studies of interstellar dust detected polycyclic aromatic molecules (Donn, 1968).

Four years later, in another study (Johnson, 1972) confirmed the presence of porphyrins in this space dust, 

Wickramasinghe in 1974 proved the existence of complex organic polymers in space conditions, particularly polyformaldehydes. It is noted that these molecules are related to cellulose and are ubiquitous in terrestrial biochemistry.

Finally, in 1975, Hoyle and Wickramasinghe concluded that organic polymers constitute a significant proportion of the powder material in interstellar dust clouds.

Hoyle and Wickramasinghe continued their research work in the mid-1970s and concluded that the light absorption spectrum of interstellar dust could be explained if the grains had a certain size and were hollow. 

In 1979, after comparing numerous substances with the data from the interstellar dust these authors found a strong similarity with dry bacterial spores which refract light as irregular hollow spheres and have a range of proper grain size. Based on these data they concluded that a significant proportion of interstellar dust grains could consist of frozen bacterial spores. 

This finding was considered ridiculous in that time and even today is generally ignored. There were even those who thought "poor Fred Hoyle had lost its way".

Although the interpretation of these research data were considered highly speculative new information has been obtained in the last few years ratifying those preliminary conclusions.

In a recent paper Wickramasinghe found hetero-aromatic polymers in the dust collected by the Stardust probe. According to the interpretation of this author they would constitute fragments of broken cell walls after impacts at 30 km per second against the surfaces of the detectors.
In the last 15 years of his life, until his death in 2001, Hoyle was dedicated to study the implications of this hypothesis. His student and successor, Chandra Wickramasinghe and other disciples continue exploring these bold and innovative aspects of life in space.

From the book "Inexhaustible? Petroleum and Gas", 

Danilo Anton, Piriguazu Ediciones