Homochirality of biological molecules is the unique biosignature of life on Earth, as discovered by Louis Pasteur in 1843: amino acids are left-handed and sugars are right-handed. The exact origin of homochirality has remained an open problem for more than a hundred years. Our two new papers (Paper1 and Paper2) proposed a new model for the symmetry breaking of chiral molecules due to spin-polarized electrons (SPEs, electrons with aligned spins) produced by the alignment of icy grains with magnetic fields in protostellar environments. This model unveils the crucial role of dust-magnetic field-electron spins in understanding the extraterrestrial origin of life.

Our two new papers (Paper1 and Paper2) introduce a new technique to probe 3D magnetic fields using starlight and thermal dust polarization and grain alignment theory. Their innovative techniques open new pathways for understanding magnetic structures in astrophysical environments and constraining dust physics. The second paper was highlighted in the interview with the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the American Astronomical Society  journals's deputy editor-in-chief Frank Timmes.