An international team of physicists has discovered that under the right conditions, particles of inorganic dust in a plasma can become organized into helical structures. These structures can then interact with each other in ways that are usually associated with organic compounds and life itself.

These helical strands are themselves electronically charged and are attracted to each other. They undergo changes that are normally associated with biological molecules, such as DNA and proteins, say the researchers.

They can, for instance, divide, or bifurcate, to form two copies of the original structure. These new structures can also interact to induce changes in their neighbours and they can even evolve into yet more structures as less stable ones break down, leaving behind only the fittest structures in the plasma.

Plasmas can also form under earth conditions such as the point of a lightning strike. The researchers hint that perhaps an inorganic form of life emerged on the primordial earth, which then acted as the template for the more familiar organic molecules we know today.