A common mineral, α-alumina, found abundantly in Earth's crust, may have played a critical role in initiating the chemical reactions necessary for life to begin. This exciting discovery, detailed in a ...

The transition from simple chemistry to the complex biology of molecules that gave rise to life is a puzzle that scientists have been trying to solve for ages. A new study suggests that conditions on ...

Chemists' technique for turning cheap dicarboxylic acids into complex lactones could boost industries from pharmaceuticals to plastics. Chemists at Scripps Research have unveiled a method for turning ...