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Earth Evolution Group Lab
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A group that explores the chemical evolution of organic matter through experiments on meteorites and impacts of celestial bodies.
AboutAbout the lab
Organic matter, seen simply as carbon-containing chemicals
The Earth Evolution Group studies the chemical evolution of organic matter contained in meteorites and other materials.
By reconsidering organic matter not only as substances produced by life but simply as chemical compounds containing carbon, the lab aims to open up a new field of geochemistry.
The lab analyzes organic matter in carbonaceous meteorites and in samples from the asteroid Ryugu, and conducts shock experiments that simulate impacts of celestial bodies.
Key terms
- Carbonaceous meteorite
- A meteorite rich in carbon, containing various organic compounds such as amino acids
- Imaging mass spectrometry
- A method that performs mass spectrometry at each location on a sample surface to create an image showing which substances are located where
- Biomarker
- Among substances made by organisms, one that remains in strata and serves as a clue to organisms that lived long ago
NewsLab news
Research on the Murchison meteorite by Professor Mimura, Associate Professor Hashiguchi, and colleagues published in Geochemical Journal
Research by Professor Mimura and colleagues re-evaluating the organic carbon content of the Murchison meteorite published in Meteoritics & Planetary Science
Research by Project Assistant Professor Hoshino and colleagues on bacterial hopanoids and steroids published in Biogenesis of Fatty Acids, Lipids and Membranes
Research by Professor Mimura and colleagues published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
ResearchResearch themes
The lab reconsiders organic matter simply as chemical compounds containing carbon, and aims to pioneer a new field of geochemistry. Through analysis of organic matter in meteorites and experiments simulating impacts of celestial bodies, it explores the chemical evolution of organic matter.
*Illustrative imageOrganic matter in meteorites
From the carbonaceous meteorites Murchison and Allende, the lab extracts organic matter that dissolves in organic solvents and organic matter that does not, and examines their chemical composition and isotope ratios. It aims to clarify in what kind of cosmic environment the organic matter in meteorites was formed.
*Illustrative imageShock experiments simulating impacts of celestial bodies
Focusing on the shock energy produced when meteorites and comets strike Earth, the lab conducts experiments that simulate such impacts. It investigates whether impacts can produce the organic matter needed for the origin of life, and whether organic matter that existed on the bodies can survive without being decomposed.
*Illustrative imageDistribution of organic matter within meteorites
In joint research with Kyushu University, the lab uses imaging mass spectrometry to examine the distribution of solvent-soluble organic matter in meteorites and other samples. In samples from the asteroid Ryugu as well, a relationship between the distribution of soluble organic matter and secondary minerals is beginning to emerge.
*Illustrative imageReconstructing ancient biospheres from lipids
On Project Assistant Professor Hoshino's personal website (content dated around 2022), the main interest is reconstructing ancient biospheres by combining phylogenomic analysis of the biosynthetic pathways that produce lipids with analysis of lipid biomarkers preserved in strata.
MembersFaculty
In the Geochemistry Division, to which this group belongs, members consist of faculty, administrative staff, researchers, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and research students.As of 2026
- ProfessorKoichi Mimura
- Associate ProfessorMinako Hashiguchi
- Project Assistant ProfessorYosuke Hoshino
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “AllendeMeteorite” H. Raab / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Organic matter in meteorites: “Carbonaceous chondrite (Murchison Meteorite) 2” James St. John / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Shock experiments simulating impacts of celestial bodies: “Shield gun” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Distribution of organic matter within meteorites: “Northwest Africa (NWA) 2224 Meteorite Thin Section” Solaranamnesis / CC0 (cropped)
- Reconstructing ancient biospheres from lipids: “Stromatolites in Sharkbay” Paul Harrison / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Geology and Geobiology Lab): “Rock Strata in Glen Nevis” Bill Kasman / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Geochemistry Group Lab): “Mass-spectrometer awi hg” Hannes Grobe / CC BY-SA 2.5 (cropped)
- Related lab (Astrobiology Lab): “Olkhon Island, Archean rock formation, Baikal Lake, Russia” Vyacheslav Argenberg / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Cosmic Materials Spectroscopy Group Lab): “Parkes Radio Telescope (CSIRO)” Amanda Slater / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
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