© 2026 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace St.
Buffalo, NY 14202

Toronto Address:
130 Queens Quay E.
Suite 903
Toronto, ON M5A 0P6


Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
BTPM NPR Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Differing shades of blue wavering throughout the image
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Astronomers find sugar floating in space

Astronomers discover first ‘true sugar’ molecule floating in space, a tantalizing new clue in the search for life’s origins.

Erythrulose, the sugar found in raspberries, is the first complex sugar ever spotted beyond our solar system. The discovery may provide clues to the origins of life.

Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd speaks with Massachusetts Institute of Technology chemistry professor Brett McGuire.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

Here & Now Newsroom