First known ‘alien’ protein ‘unlike anything on Earth’ found inside meteorite by scientists

SCIENTISTS think they've discovered an extraterrestrial protein inside a meteorite that plummeted to Earth three decades ago.

They hope the discovery could provide clues about life emerging elsewhere in our Solar System.

If the results of the study can be replicated again then this will be the first ever protein discovery that has an out of Earth origin.

The researchers wrote in their study: "This paper characterises the first protein to be discovered in a meteorite."

Meteorites that have fallen to our planet in recent years have contained building blocks for like such as cyanide and ribose, which can both help to build proteins in cells.

The researchers decided to re-investigation the meteorites that contained the latter substance.