Elusive electronic effect could explain the origins of chirality for all life on Earth
By 
Fernando Gomollón-Bel2026-05-20T09:01:00
Study suggests spin selectivity is different in enantiomers – altering their reaction rate – which ‘challenges a fundamental assumption in the field’
Magnetic surfaces can sway spin selectivity, resulting in different reaction rates for enantiomers.1 The discovery of his interaction between mirror molecules and magnets could explain the origins of homochirality on Earth and early life, in particular in prebiotic peptides and RNA.
Most biomolecules exhibit a single handedness – normally natural amino acids have L symmetry, whereas sugars are predominantly D enantiomers. The origins of this phenomenon have puzzled researchers for decades, until an electronic effect emerged as a plausible explanation. This effect, known as chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS), demonstrates the selection of a specific spin state in electrons travelling through chiral and magnetic materials.