At Imperial College, astrobiologists have spent years analysing molecules within meteorites. One sample in particular dates from 4.5 billion years ago and has made a huge impact on genetic codes.

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The Cell 2009
Embark on a compelling, mind-blowing, and complex journey through 300 years of history to discover the secrets of the cell - and of life itself. In this fascinating series, Dr Adam Rutherford delves back through time to the first observations of the cellular structure of plants; the search for the secret of life that led scientists deep into the inner workings of the cell; and to modern research in synthetic biology that could see us create life from scratch. It is a story of rivalries and secrecy, mistakes and accidents, and sudden insights that have overturned scientific and religious dogma.

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