Figure 1 (IMAGE) Tohoku University Caption An ancient coastal area rich in boron could catalyze the polymerization of amino acids. Credit Yoshihiro Furukawa Usage Restrictions Credit must be given to the creator. Adaptations must be shared under the same terms. License CC BY-SA Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.