Astromat

Analysis technique: GC-OrbitrapMS isotopic measurments. Sample name: OREX-800107-183. Sample type: homogenized agrregate. Focus of the analysis: isotopic measurments of intramolecular carbon and molecular average nitrogen of amino acids. Brief description of methodology and processes: Amino acids were hot water extracted, acid hydrolyzed and de-salted at GSFC; derivatized with TFAA and methanol at Penn State University; Introduced into a modified GC-OrbitrapMS for intramolecular carbon and molecular avrage nitrogen measurments. Results or findings: Intramolecular carbon values of glycine were obtained. Nitrogen values of glycine, Beta-alanine and DL enantiomers of glutamic acid were obtained. Conclusions or implications: The intramolecular carbon measurments of glycine revealed that the amino acid was likely not formed trough Strecker synthsis but rather aanother pathway such as modified radical-radical synthesis. Nitrogen values of glycine, Beta-alanine and L-glutamic acid are consistent with delta 15N values of hot-water extract =180 permil. However, D-glutamic acid is 100 permil more enriched in 15N. These results challenge the assumption of isotopic uniformity among chiral amino acids.