Abstract

The concept of chemically evolvable replicators is central to abiogenesis. Chemical evolvability requires three essential components: energy-harvesting mechanisms for nonequilibrium dissipation, kinetically asymmetric replication and decomposition pathways, and structure-dependent selective templating in the autocatalytic cycles. We observed a UVA light-fueled chemical system displaying sequence-dependent replication and replicator decomposition. The system was constructed with primitive peptidic foldamer components. The photocatalytic formation–recombination cycle of thiyl radicals was coupled with the molecular recognition steps in the replication cycles. Thiyl radical-mediated chain reaction was responsible for the replicator death mechanism. The competing and kinetically asymmetric replication and decomposition processes led to light intensity-dependent selection far from equilibrium. Here, we show that this system can dynamically adapt to energy influx and seeding. The results highlight that mimicking chemical evolution is feasible with primitive building blocks and simple chemical reactions.

First part of a three-part series about the origin of life, given by Nobel Prize winner Jack Szostak.

A fascinating topic. The lectures are a bit old, but the information is not outdated.

Part 2

Part 3

These lectures come from iBiology, a non-profit that produces educational content and releases it under a creative commons license.

Some of my co-workers study the origin of life, and part of their work focuses on pre-biotic peptide synthesis.

I am convinced that nucleotides appeared well before protein synthesis, and that protein synthesis appears at a mature stage during life's evolution, likely catalyzed by ribozymes... So I don't think that pre-biotic peptide synthesis is relevant for the origin of life!

I am making an effort to study the alternative hypotheses in which life has a proteomic origin. My opinion is still unchanged, but I found this article interesting because at least it proposes a somewhat viable model.

Do you have any opinions about the origin of life?