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Wednesday, October 7, 2026 · UTC
Asteroids & Planetary Defense

Five DNA/RNA nucleobases recovered from returned Ryugu and Bennu asteroid samples

Ribose was also confirmed in Bennu material, with findings filed 1 October 2026.

Caleb Mbeki
Planetary Science Reporter
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Asteroid samples yield DNA building blocks
Asteroid samples yield DNA building blocks AI illustrationhow this picture was made
All five canonical nucleobases found in RNA and DNA have been identified in samples returned from the carbonaceous asteroids Ryugu and Bennu.[1] Ribose was separately identified in Bennu return samples during analysis conducted in 2025.[2] Both sets of results were filed on 1 October 2026.
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What this stands on
  1. Biorelevant nitrogen heterocycles, including the five canonical nucleobases found in RNA and DNA, have been identified in samples returned from the carbonaceous asteroids Ryugu and Bennu. · Astrobiology
  2. Ribose was identified in samples returned from asteroid Bennu during analysis conducted in 2025. · The Times Of IndiaIndia
The one we could place publishes from India. 1 could not be placed by their address. None is an official body: that part stands on reporting, not on the underlying document or transcript.