University of Arizona opens new astrobiology center

The University of Arizona is putting a new focus on astrobiology. It announced the opening of the Arizona Astrobiology Center yesterday.

Researchers will use the Center to do cutting-edge studies of interplanetary material like that which just arrived from the Osiris-REx mission to the asteroid Bennu. It also will provide education for students who want to bring their interest in biochemistry to the fields of astronomy and planetary science.

UA scientists have been doing astrobiological research since the 1970s. That's when some of the lunar samples from the Apollo missions were first studied in Tucson.