Regions that retain evidence of the early Earth are extremely scarce today. Our research group discovered new evidence for the earliest traces of life on Earth through field research in Greenland, where formations from 3.7 billion years ago are preserved.

Many different chemical reactions occurred in the various surface environments that existed on the early Earth. This includes the reactions that synthesized organic molecules related to life. We are revealing which organic molecules related to life formed and how they polymerized by mimicking the various chemical reactions that could have occurred in different scenarios; these include scenarios such as an asteroid impact or dehydration in tidal flats on the early Earth.

It has become clear that biological activity is deeply involved in the formation of metal ore and oil deposits. We strive to reveal the relations between the formation of resource deposits and biological activity through field research and chemical analysis of iron ore formations, Kuroko reserves, manganese deposits, and oil deposits.

Cosmogenic organic molecules were also delivered to the Earth by meteorites or cosmic dust. We are conducting chemical analysis on organic molecules extracted from meteorites. Through this approach, we are working on to elucidate how organic molecules required for the birth of life were synthesized and how they behaved during chemical evolution.