Liquid-state Association of Simple Biomolecules Under Titan Mimetic Conditions

We propose to study the association of the amino acid glycine in aqueous ammonia as a model system for biomolecular assembly in Titan mimetic environments. Building on our previous work on astronomically relevant mimetic aqueous solutions, the ammonia concentration will be fixed at a water : ammonia molar ratio of 3.665 : 1, and the glycine concentration will be fixed at a water : glycine ratio of 30 : 1, and the solutions will be explored at two temperatures. Through neutron diffraction and structural refinement we will determine (1) the clustering of glycine through hydrogen bonding between its hydrogen bond donating amine and hydrogen bond accepting carboxyl groups, (2) the perturbations to hydrophobic clustering of glycine through its side chain hydrogens, (3) hydrogen bond interactions between glycine and ammonia, and (4) perturbations to the bulk water structure by the combined influence of glycine and ammonia. This will support the group's research in exploring the physics of life in extreme environments, the Walsh group at Leeds and their interest in exploring habitable worlds, the continued developed of Dr Harry Laurent and the training and development of new ISIS facility development student Issy Sutton who begins in October 2025.