STONY BROOK, NY-March 30, 2026-The State University of New York at Stony Brook (Stony Brook University) Department of Geosciences in the College of Arts and Sciences faculty: Research Associate Professor Mehmet Yesiltas, Professor and Department Chair Timothy Glotch and Research Professor Paul Northrup's recent research analyzed carbonaceous asteroid samples from Bennu, an asteroid visited by NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) OSIRIS-REx mission. It revealed the chemical composition of primitive solar system materials not possible to study, analyze or observe through remote sensing or conventional laboratory methods.

This research, "Nanoscale infrared spectroscopy reveals complex organic-mineral assemblages in asteroid Bennu" will be published in the PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America) and was conducted in collaboration with researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Dr. Andrew Dopilka and Dr. Robert Kostecki).

The study is based on samples returned from the carbonaceous asteroid Bennu by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission. This mission is the second sample return mission from a carbonaceous asteroid, and the first one for the United States. Bennu is classified as a "primitive carbonaceous asteroid," and is considered one of the best-preserved remnants of the early solar system, thus making its returned samples among the most scientifically valuable planetary materials currently available for study. Meteorites are traditionally considered a source of primitive asteroid materials; however, they carry the risk of being compromised by Earth's atmospheric entry and terrestrial contamination. Bennu's returned samples are considered genuinely pristine, making findings derived from them significantly more reliable.

This research group was one of the first teams selected to receive pieces of the returned asteroid samples for study. Using nanoscale-infrared and Raman spectroscopy, the group characterized the sample's chemical composition at spatial resolutions down to ~20-500 nanometers/pixel. All measurements were performed without exposing the sample to air, as contact with the atmosphere can alter sensitive chemical bonds and organic functional groups, compromising the very signatures the researchers looked to detect. In addition, both techniques are non-destructive, which is an essential consideration given that these samples are irreplaceable.

At nanoscales, the fundamental building blocks of asteroid mineralogy and organic chemistry can be directly observed in such pristine and precious samples. The group's analysis identified distinct chemical domains, such as aliphatic-rich, carbonate-rich and nitrogen-bearing organic-rich regions. This demonstrates that water-driven alteration on Bennu was chemically heterogeneous. The nitrogen-bearing organic functional groups are widely preserved despite extensive aqueous alteration.

"These findings carry broader significance for planetary science and astrobiology," said Professor Mehmet Yesiltas. "They demonstrate survival of chemically labile, nitrogen-bearing organics through aqueous alteration on a small solar system body has direct implications for long-standing questions about how organic complexity is built up and preserved in primitive planetary materials. By extension, it may reveal how organics relevant to prebiotic chemistry may have been delivered to early Earth via carbonaceous asteroids and may have played a role in the chemical processes that might have eventually led to life."

Photo caption: Bennu sample OREX-800066-3 under near-field optical microscope during nanoscale infrared analysis. The metallic tip (top center) of the scanning near-field optical microscope probes the sample's chemical composition at ~20-nanometer resolution, revealing distinct organic-mineral domains within this Bennu fragment returned to Earth by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission in September 2023.

Photo Credit: Stony Brook University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

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The State University of New York at Stony Brook (Stony Brook University) is New York's flagship university and No. 1 public university. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. With more than 27,000 students, more than 3,000 faculty members, more than 225,000 alumni, a premier academic healthcare system and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs, Stony Brook is a research-intensive distinguished center of innovation dedicated to addressing the world's biggest challenges. The university embraces its mission to provide comprehensive undergraduate, graduate and professional education of the highest quality, and is ranked as the #59 overall university and #26 among public universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges listing. Fostering a commitment to academic research and intellectual endeavors, Stony Brook's membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places it among the top 71 research institutions in North America. The university's distinguished faculty have earned esteemed awards such as the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize, Fields Medal, Breakthrough prizes in mathematics and physics, and MacArthur Fellows Genius Grants. Stony Brook has the responsibility of co-managing Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy - one of only eight universities with a role in running a national laboratory. In 2023, Stony Brook was named the anchor institution for The New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island in New York City. Providing economic growth for neighboring communities and the wider geographic region, the university totals an impressive $8.93 billion in increased economic output on Long Island. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stonybrooku/ and X@stonybrooku.