Our universe is made up of tiny building blocks: atoms and molecules. Everything around us — including our own bodies — is made from them. In a very real sense, we come from the stars. The atoms that make up our cells were created inside ancient stars long before the Sun or Earth existed. And what is even more amazing: the chemistry that makes life possible here on Earth is also happening far out in space. My research focuses on a family of molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. On Earth, these molecules are usually associated with smoke, pollution or even cancer. They do not have a good reputation. But in space, they tell a very different story. PAHs are incredibly common in the vast clouds of gas and dust between stars. They form naturally and can survive extreme cosmic conditions. This raises a fascinating possibility: could these same molecules — harmful to us today — have played a role in the origin of life billions of years ago? In my research, I explore whether PAHs might have acted as tiny molecular surfaces that helped the first building blocks of RNA and DNA assemble. Could molecules born in dying stars have helped spark biology on young planets? Using theoretical models and computer simulations, I examine the conditions that would make this possible. Is this kind of chemistry rare and unlikely? Or is it something the universe tends to do naturally? Join me at the Festival of Research to explore the fascinating possibility that the molecules we associate with danger today might once have helped turn stardust into life.

Short Bio

Dario Campisi is a postdoc with a PhD in Astronomy from Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands. His work spans astronomy and chemistry, exploring the universe through computer simulations. He helped clarify the role of interstellar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons—molecules thought to initiate life—in hydrogen formation and dust preservation. After research experiences at the University of Chicago, the University of Stuttgart as a Humboldt Fellow, and the University of Perugia, he will study interstellar RNA formation as an AIAS Fellow.