Chiral autocatalysis: where stereochemistry meets the origin of life

This article summarizes a series of recent and simple experiments to produc e optically active substances from achiral precursors. These symmetry-break ing processes include either autocatalytic crystallization or asymmetric au tocatalysis, and provide new insights into the origin of biomolecular homoc hirality. In addition, support from an extraterrestrial origin of chiral mo lecules has also come from recent findings.