Protostars are Nature's Chemical Factories

H(2-2), N2 and CO are the most abundant molecular constituents in astrophysical environments, including protostellar nebulae. Although some organic molecules may be produced on very long timescales by the irradiation of ices formed on the cold surfaces of interstellar grains and these molecules may be an important source of raw materials leading to the origin of life on Earth, pre-solar organics could be swamped by the efficient conversion of nebular H2, N2 and CO to simple organic materials.