Biological Templating in Ryugu Material

All articles by Wretch Fossil are here: http://www.wretch.cc/blog/lin440315&category_id=0

Recent high-resolution microscopy images from asteroid Ryugu samples have revealed enigmatic, regularly arranged tubular microstructures. One particularly striking example is visible in Figure 1 below: 

Figure 1. High-magnification image of tubular nanostructures in image c. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fossil_lin/54681715139/in/dateposted-public/. Image c reveals densely packed, elongated structures aligned in parallel, with some appearing segmented. The image was enlarged 800% for clarity. These features warrant investigation into their potential biological or engineered origins.

This article critically evaluates the visual features of image c, compares them with known terrestrial wood cell walls, and assesses the feasibility of abiotic explanations.

Visual Interpretation

Figure Description:

Figure 1c shows strands of nanostructures arranged in parallel. Each fibril is relatively uniform in diameter, showing partial segmentation. The structural consistency and alignment suggest a templated or organized formation mechanism.

Hypothesis 1: originating from past life

• Wood Cell Wall Analog: The pattern is strikingly similar to the S2 layer of terrestrial xylem cell walls (ref. https://www.flickr.com/photos/fossil_lin/54688660434/in/dateposted-public/), which contains aligned cellulose nanofibrils.
• Vessel Elements Analogy: The fibrils appear connected in vertical strands, mimicking how vessel elements are organized in vascular plants.
• Bio-templating Hypothesis: If wood cells originally formed the template, the preserved structure could represent mineralized wood cell walls, illustrated in Figure 2 below:

Figure 2: Schematics illustrating the breakdown of softwood from the cellular to nanoscale. Figure 2 is explained in details at https://wretchfossil.blogspot.com/2025/07/natural-wood-fibrils-differ-from-man.html

Hypothesis 2: Abiotic Mineral Formation

• Phyllosilicate Intergrowth: Some minerals, particularly saponite and serpentine, form fibrous textures under hydrothermal conditions. However, these usually lack such fine regularity and segmentation.
• Layered Silicates or Clay Gels: Under dehydration or recrystallization, layered silicates can form stacked nanosheets, but the morphology often appears more disordered.

Comparative Analysis

Discussion

The nanostructures in this Ryugu sample image exhibit several characteristics consistent with bio-templating architecture, especially compared to terrestrial wood fibrils. In particular:

• The parallel, connected fibrils echo the ultrastructure of the S2 secondary cell wall in wood cells.
• The segmented appearances mimic lignified vessel strands.
• The consistent geometry across a broad field makes random crystallization less likely.

Comparative reference can be drawn to the fibrils shown in the blog post “How Natural Wood Fibrils Differ from Man-Made Fibrils” (https://wretchfossil.blogspot.com/2025/07/natural-wood-fibrils-differ-from-man.html ), where natural cellulose nanofibrils exhibit grid morphology —features not typically found in abiotic mineral growths.

While alternative abiotic hypotheses (e.g., mineral gels, silicate intergrowth) must be considered, the image lacks the irregularity, branching, or layered curvature typically seen in such systems.

If this sample was indeed derived from Ryugu, as contextually indicated, then this image joins a growing corpus suggesting biosignatures. Further investigation via elemental mapping (e.g., EDS) and ultrastructural tomography is recommended.

Conclusion

This Ryugu-derived image reveals nanoscale tubular features bearing resemblance to wood cell walls. The observed regularity, segmentation, and spatial organization strongly support the bio-templating hypothesis. Future sample analyses should prioritize such structures as potential biosignatures.

References

1.   Lin, L. (2025). Evidence of Fossilized Wood-Like Ultrastructure in Asteroid Ryugu. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/393976978

2.   Lin, L. (2025). Bio-Templating in Asteroid Ryugu. https://wretchfossil.blogspot.com/2025/07/bio-templating-in-asteroid-ryugu.html

3.   Lin, L. (2025). Natural Wood Fibrils Differ from Man-Made Fibrils. https://wretchfossil.blogspot.com/2025/07/natural-wood-fibrils-differ-from-man.html

4.   Donaldson, L. (2007). Cell wall structure of tracheids in Pinus radiata. IAWA Journal, 28(2), 173–184.

5.   Noguchi, T., et al. (2022). Formation and alteration history of carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu. Nature Astronomy, 6(8), 1009–1017.

6.   NASA Astrobiology Strategy (2015). https://astrobiology.nasa.gov

Wretch Fossil’s website:http://wretchfossil.blogspot.com/