A new study published in the journal, Science, says the discovery of an unusual carbon-based molecule suggests the key of life came from space

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers from Cornell University, the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the University of Cologne discovered complex molecules in giant gas clouds.

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For this study, they examined the chemical makeup of the galaxy, Sagittarius B2, in the Milky Way's galactic center. They found this galaxy located 27,000 light years from Earth rich with interstellar organic molecules.

Researchers discovered 50 individual features of isopropyl cyanide and 120 normal-propyl cyanide, which are two of the largest molecules ever to be detected in Sagittarius B2.

They added that understanding the production of organic material at the early stage of star formation is vital in piecing together the gradual progression of simple molecules to life-bearing chemistry.

Rob Garrod from Cornell University said the organic molecules usually found in the star-forming regions consist of a single backbone of carbon atoms arranged in a straight chain

This is the first interstellar detection of this kind of molecule to date, Garrod said.

He believes this detection opens a new frontier that answers the question of how complex molecules were formed in space and how they find their way to a planet's surface.

The study also proves that the amino acids found in meteorites were produced even before planets like Earth was formed.