A new study based on James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations reports that organic molecules are much more prevalent outside our galaxy than previously believed, after analyzing data from a heavily obscured supermassive black hole.
Researchers from Spain’s Center for Astrobiology (CAB) utilized advanced modeling techniques developed at Oxford University to determine the abundance of small organic molecules in JWST data from the nucleus of galaxy IRAS 07251–0248.
Their work, presented in a recent paper in Nature Astronomy, illuminates how one of the universe’s most extreme environments drove the formation of organic molecules and carbon, both essential to life.
Peering INto the Infrared
IRAS 07251–0248 may be an ultra-luminous infrared galaxy, but expansive clouds of gas and dust obscure it from our point of view. As the surrounding material absorbs the galaxy’s radiation output, little makes its way to Earth to be seen with conventional optical telescopes. However, that dust absorbs the optical light from the galactic nuclei and re-emits it in the infrared.
Those infrared wavelengths penetrate the gas and dust to reach the JWST’s NIRSpec and MIRI instruments. The data JWST collected provided new insights into the chemical processes in this galactic nucleus, enabling the team to identify gas-phase molecules and elements bound in ice and dust. This created a rich catalogue of abundance and temperature readings for the many chemical species residing in IRAS 07251–0248.
Organic Molecules in Another Galaxy
In addition to transforming optical light into infrared, the dust grains also provide an important surface for these organic molecules to form. The observations provided researchers with a catalogue of small organic molecules, including benzene (C₆H₆), methane (CH₄), acetylene (C₂H₂), diacetylene (C₄H₂), and triacetylene (C₆H₂). Crucially, this is the first time that the methyl radical (CH₃) has been observed outside of the Milky Way galaxy.
Intriguingly, it was not just gas-phase molecules but carbonaceous grains and water ices of some complexity. The researchers do not suggest that their findings constitute evidence of extraterrestrial life, but note that they have discovered the fundamental building blocks prerequisite for life—and in unexpected abundance—at a cosmic location well beyond our galaxy.
“We found an unexpected chemical complexity, with abundances far higher than predicted by current theoretical models,” explained lead author Dr Ismael García Bernete, formerly of Oxford University and now a researcher at CAB. “This indicates that there must be a continuous source of carbon in these galactic nuclei fuelling this rich chemical network.”
“Although small organic molecules are not found in living cells, they could play a vital role in prebiotic chemistry, representing an important step towards the formation of amino acids and nucleotides,” said co-author Professor Dimitra Rigopoulou of the Department of Physics, University of Oxford.
James Webb Continues Its Observations
Theoretical models of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) developed at Oxford were essential to the CAB team’s analysis. According to the researchers, cosmic rays, rather than high temperatures or turbulent gas motion, are most likely responsible for releasing the small organic molecules into the phase by fragmenting PAHs and carbon-rich dust grains.
This is supported by data from other similar galaxies, which also show high hydrocarbon abundance and intense cosmic-ray ionization, and could mean that galactic nuclei may function as essential organic molecule “factories” driving the galaxy’s chemical evolution.
As the James Webb Space Telescope continues to impress with its ability to bring the most distant and obscure corners of our universe under scientific scrutiny, the team sees its results as proof that much work remains in studying how extreme environments form, as well as the processes occurring throughout the cosmos that serve as prerequisites for the existence of life.
The paper, “JWST Detection of Abundant Hydrocarbons in a Buried Nucleus with Signs of Grain and PAH Processing,” appeared in Nature Astronomy on February 6, 2026.
Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.