Indian-origin scientist leads team in strongest evidence yet of possible alien life  

A major breakthrough in the search for extraterrestrial life has been led by Indian-origin astrophysicist Dr Nikku Madhusudhan, whose team has found strong signs of life-supporting chemistry on a distant exoplanet, K2-18b, located 120 light-years from Earth.

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, Madhusudhan and his colleagues detected dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the planet’s atmosphere—a compound that, on Earth, is only produced by living organisms, mainly marine algae. This discovery, if confirmed, could mark the first time scientists have identified a potential biosignature beyond our solar system.

“This is a revolutionary moment,” said Madhusudhan, a researcher at the University of Cambridge. “It’s the first time humanity has seen potential biosignatures on a habitable planet.”

K2-18b, discovered in 2017, is a type of sub-Neptune planet—larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune—without a known counterpart in our solar system. In 2021, Madhusudhan’s team introduced the concept of "Hycean" planets: worlds covered in warm oceans and wrapped in hydrogen-rich atmospheres, capable of supporting life.

The new evidence comes from repeated Webb telescope observations, which analyzed the light passing through K2-18b’s atmosphere as it transited its host star. Alongside DMS, scientists also found methane, carbon dioxide, and a related compound called dimethyl disulfide.

“It is a shock to the system,” Madhusudhan said of the DMS detection. “We spent an enormous amount of time just trying to get rid of the signal.” But no matter how they adjusted their analysis, the signal remained.

While the findings are groundbreaking, experts are urging caution.

“It’s not nothing,” said Stephen Schmidt, a planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins University. “It’s a hint. But we cannot conclude it’s habitable yet.”

Others warned the planet could still turn out to be inhospitable. A paper published by another research group this week suggested K2-18b might have a thick, hot hydrogen atmosphere and even a magma ocean—conditions unlikely to support life as we know it.

More observations and lab-based experiments are needed to better understand how these chemicals behave under such exotic conditions. Future missions and upgraded space telescopes will be crucial in confirming—or disproving—the presence of life.

“It’s important to remember that we’re just starting to understand the nature of these exotic worlds,” said Matthew Nixon, a planetary scientist at the University of Maryland.

Still, the implications are significant. For decades, astrobiologists have theorized that molecules like dimethyl sulfide could serve as biosignatures. Now, the possibility that one has been found is energizing the scientific community.

“I’m not screaming, ‘aliens!’” said Nikole Lewis of Cornell University. “But I always reserve my right to scream ‘aliens!’”

However, budget concerns loom. Astrobiologist Joshua Krissansen-Totton warned that potential cuts to NASA’s science programs could halt follow-up research. “If that happens, the search for life elsewhere would basically stop,” he said.

Despite the uncertainty, Madhusudhan’s discovery marks a pivotal step in the decades-long hunt for life beyond Earth—and it’s a moment led by a scientist of Indian origin at the forefront of a global scientific effort.