  The formation of protein precursors, due to the condensation of atomic carbon
under the low-temperature conditions of the molecular phases of the
interstellar medium, opens alternative pathways for the origin of life. We
perform peptide synthesis under conditions prevailing in space and provide a
comprehensive analytic characterization of its products. The application of 13C
allowed us to confirm the suggested pathway of peptide formation that proceeds
due to the polymerization of aminoketene molecules that are formed in the C +
CO + NH3 reaction. Here, we address the question of how the efficiency of
peptide production is modified by the presence of water molecules. We
demonstrate that although water slightly reduces the efficiency of
polymerization of aminoketene, it does not prevent the formation of peptides.
