Calcium's Surprising Role in Shaping Life's Earliest Molecules

A new study from the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at the Institute of Science Tokyo reveals a surprising role for calcium ions in influencing the formation of life's earliest molecular structures. Researchers found that calcium selectively affects how primitive polymers form, offering insights into the origin of homochirality – the preference for a single 'handedness' in biological molecules. This suggests that calcium availability on early Earth may have significantly influenced the development of homochiral polymers, potentially playing a crucial role in the emergence of life and hinting at similar processes potentially occurring on other planets.