The formose reaction is of importance to the question of the origin of life, as it leads from simple formaldehyde to complex sugars like ribose, a building block of RNA. In one experiment simulating early Earth conditions, pentoses formed from mixtures of formaldehyde, glyceraldehyde, and borate minerals such as colemanite (CaBO5HO) or kernite (NaBO). However, issues remain with both the thermodynamic and kinetic feasibility of binding pre-made sugars to a pre-made nucleobase, as well as a method to selectively employ ribose from the mixture. Both formaldehyde and glycolaldehyde have been observed spectroscopically in outer space, making the formose reaction of particular interest to the field of astrobiology.