 Organic compounds such as amines can play a role in the formation of new particles in the Earth's atmosphere. These compounds may help to stabilize pre-existing clusters of sulfuric acid and water, which are thought to be key components in the nucleation process. While these compounds appear to increase the stability of the clusters, they do not appear to be sufficient to counteract the lower concentration of amine compared to ammonia. Additional research is necessary to fully understand the role of organic compounds in atmospheric nucleation. This article was authored by Jason Herb, Marina V. Jakovliva, Alexei B. Nadikto, and others.