Last week, researchers with NASA showed its preliminary findings of rocks that were gathered off the asteroid Bennu from the OSIRIS-REx mission.

Now the University of Arizona has announced the launch of its Arizona Astrobiology Center on the heels of the sample’s return.

Astrobiology is the study of life in the universe.

A major component of studying the rocks from the asteroid is to find the components that might have made early life possible on Earth.

Erika Blumenfeld and Joseph Aebersold/NASA

A view of the outside of the OSIRIS-REx sample collector. Sample material from asteroid Bennu can be seen on the middle right. Scientists have found evidence of both carbon and water in initial analysis of this material. The bulk of the sample is inside.

Dante Lauretta is the principal investigator for the mission and is now the center’s director. 

He said it will act as a gathering place to bring researchers from multiple disciplines including evolution, astronomy and biochemistry to address what he called fundamental scientific questions.

“How did the origin of life occur, and how did it evolve to the point where there's intelligent species on Earth capable of building the kinds of technology like OSIRIS-REx and the James Webb Space Telescope?” he said. 

Lauretta added the program will work as a hub for students to approach professors and researchers involved and to work on astrobiology projects.

Lauretta said his experience leading the OSIRIS-REx mission led to the idea for the new initiative. 

“I needed to reach out across campus to talk to my colleagues in molecular and cellular biology and geosciences. And I also wanted to share the excitement of these ideas and discoveries with the general public," Lauretta said.