The interstellar molecular complexity

One of the major questions of ‘Cradle of Life’ science theme of astronomy is how, when and where complex organic molecules, including the so-called prebiotic molecules, are formed. Key questions are: (1) which are the physicochemical processes that are involved in their production/destruction? and (2) whether grain surface processes or gas phase reactions prevail in their formation. Because of the success of large ground-based single dish telescopes (e.g. NRO 45 m, IRAM 30 m, GBT, ARO 12 m and NASA DSN) and interferometers (e.g. ALMA, NOEMA, and SMA) and space observatories (ISO, Spitzer, and Herschel), an interdisciplinary field has developed extending from astronomical instrumentation and observatories to laboratory astrophysics to theoretical chemical-dynamical modelings and to high level quantum computations. We are currently in an era to address the long-standing question of our ‘chemical origins’, that is, to understand the journey of organic molecules from pre-stellar cores to planet-forming disks, and finally to the Solar System bodies. Following this journey, which leads to the origin of life on Earth, is a Holy Grail of astronomy. I will review some of the significant results on the formation and detection of complex organic molecules, including prebiotic molecules and their organic precursors, towards star-forming regions.