Science Advances · 23 October 2026 · From issue 56
How high-pressure ices on large ocean worlds can support habitability: The compatibility of amino acids into ice VI and VII
In lab tests, dense ice absorbed meaningful amounts of two simple amino acids.
Jihua Hao, Can Liu et al.
Large icy moons may hide oceans of liquid water under a thick shell of super dense ice. Scientists wondered if small life-building molecules could pass through this ice, instead of staying stuck near the rocky bottom. Lab tests squeezed two simple amino acids inside this type of ice under huge pressure. A good portion of each one, up to 40 percent, got soaked into the ice itself. Computer models showed these molecules can fit inside the ice as it grows, hinting the ice could help carry life's building blocks up toward the ocean.
The share of the amino acid alanine absorbed into one type of dense ice during lab tests.
Lab experiment only, tiny samples, no real moon or ocean tested.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 28 October 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Science Advances). Read the source
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