Origins and Evolution of Life

Hydrothermal origin of metabolic phosphorylation

This study shows that palladium catalysts in hydrothermal systems oxidize phosphite to phosphate and generate prebiotic phosphorylation products under serpentinizing conditions.

Cross-catalytic enhancement of peptides and RNA from a common prebiotic activated intermediate

This study investigates cross-catalytic effects between amino acids and nucleotides under prebiotic conditions, showing increased formation of longer AMP oligomers and peptides through a reactive intermediate.

Protocell formation on micrometeorites

This study shows lipids self-assemble into membranous protocells on micrometeorites through surface energy-driven mechanisms, with differences observed compared to natural sand particles.

Nonenzymatic, prebiotic aminoacylation couples chirality of RNA and protein

This paper demonstrates a prebiotic, nonenzymatic aminoacylation process that couples RNA and protein chirality, favoring opposite L- and D- configurations.

Dynamic and Catalytic Multiphase Coacervates

This study creates an artificial multiphase coacervate system that dynamically reorganizes in response to pH, enabling controlled catalytic reactions through phase composition adjustments.

Increasing the compositional heterogeneity of single-chain amphiphile membranes supported by coacervate cores alters stability and properties of the hybrid protocells

This study shows that using diverse single-chain amphiphiles in hybrid protocell membranes increases stability and structural diversity, enhancing their viability in varying environments.

Prebiotic aqueous reactions catalyzed by native nickel without hydrogen

This study shows that native nickel can catalyze prebiotic reactions converting 2-oxo acids to 2-hydroxy acids and amino acids without hydrogen or enzymes.

Experimental evolution toward extinction in a molecular host-parasite system

This study shows that co-evolution between host and parasitic RNA replicators can lead to diversity loss and frequent extinctions under specific dilution conditions.

Influence of phosphate activation chemistry on the selection of the primordial genetic alphabet

This study compares two phosphate-activation chemistries' effects on nucleotide modifications, showing that primordial nucleotides are more susceptible to modification, which may explain the selection of the canonical genetic alphabet.

Non-enzymatic error correction in self-replicators without extraneous energy supply

This paper presents a theoretical model of error correction in self-replicating systems that does not require enzymes or external energy, demonstrating kinetic discrimination and error ratios similar to biological processes.

A polymerase ribozyme that can synthesize both itself and its complementary strand

The paper describes a ribozyme that can synthesize both itself and its complementary strand, suggesting polymerase ribozymes may be more common in RNA sequence space.

Sequence motif dynamics in RNA pools

The paper develops a reduced motif space model to capture the dynamics of RNA pools, showing it can capture important aspects of sequence space dynamics.

Resurrected nitrogenases recapitulate canonical N-isotope biosignatures over two billion years

The paper resurrects ancient nitrogenase enzymes and shows their nitrogen isotope signatures are similar to modern ones, suggesting evolutionary invariance and supporting the use of N-isotope biosignatures for detecting life.

Growth, dissolution and segregation of genetically encoded RNA droplets by ribozyme catalysis

This paper demonstrates genetically encoded RNA droplets that can dissolve, segregate, and regrow through ribozyme catalysis, establishing a minimal cycle for synthetic life.

ChemOrigins: A community curated database for origins of life chemistry

ChemOrigins is a community-curated database that organizes experimentally supported prebiotic reactions into a knowledge graph for research and education.

Coenzyme-Protein Interactions since Early Life

This study examines protein-coenzyme interactions in the Protein Data Bank to assess the plausibility of early peptide-cofactor collaborations before the Central Dogma.

Impact of 2'-deoxyribo-purine substrates on nonenzymatic RNA template-directed primer extension

This study examines how 2'-deoxyribo-purine substitutions affect RNA duplex stability and nonenzymatic template-directed primer extension.

Emergent Chemical Reactivity and Complexity of RNA Condensates

This study investigates RNA condensates formed at acidic pH, showing they compartmentalize biomolecules, enhance reaction rates, and act as microreactors with catalytic activity, supporting the RNA world hypothesis.

The dinucleotide structure of NAD enables specific reduction on mineral surfaces

This paper investigates the reduction of NAD and NMN on mineral surfaces under abiotic conditions, showing NAD's specificity and the role of the AMP tail in preventing overreduction.

Toward Stable Replication of Genomic Information in Pools of RNA Molecules

This paper analyzes the Virtual Circular Genome (VCG) model for prebiotic replication, showing that increasing long oligomer length and reducing their concentration improves replication fidelity.

Dynamical interactions among compositionally distinct protocell populations and its implications for evolution of early membranes

This study examines interactions between different protocell populations and shows how coexistence leads to emergent properties and evolutionary trajectories in early membrane systems.

Modelling the prebiotic origins of regulation & agency in evolving protocell ecologies

This paper introduces a simulation platform to model how regulation and agency emerge in protocell ecologies under prebiotic conditions.

Characterizing mixed single chain amphiphile-based coacervates as a robust protocell system

This paper characterizes mixed single chain amphiphile-based coacervates as protocell systems, showing RNA sequestration and nonenzymatic template-directed primer extension.

Expanding the space of self-reproducing RNAs using probabilistic generative models

The paper uses probabilistic generative models to estimate the number of self-reproducing RNAs and finds that at least 10^39 such ribozymes may exist.

Primitive Molecular Buffering by Low-Multivalency Coacervates

This study investigates how coacervates resist changes in molecular composition under varying salinity and pH, showing they can buffer molecules like RNA and maintain internal stability.

Protometabolically generated NADH mediates material properties of aqueous dispersions to coacervate microdroplets

The paper investigates how NADH production affects the phase behavior of polyarginine in bicarbonate buffer, showing that it can tune material properties between precipitates, homogeneous solution, and liquid droplets.

Prebiotic gas flow environment enables isothermal nucleic acid replication

This study demonstrates that an isothermal prebiotic gas flow environment enables exponential DNA replication by concentrating nucleic acids and reducing salt concentration.

From experimental clues to theoretical modeling: Evolution associated with the membrane-takeover at an early stage of life

The paper uses computer modeling of RNA-based protocells to explore how membrane-takeover could have driven early evolutionary processes by promoting phospholipid synthesis and related functional RNA species.

Stereoselectivity of Aminoacyl-RNA Loop-closing Ligation

This study shows that aminoacyl-RNA loop-closing ligation is stereoselective, favoring L-amino acids over D-amino acids, and suggests this process could have contributed to the emergence of homochirality in amino acids.

Nonenzymatic RNA copying with a potentially primordial genetic alphabet

This paper investigates a primordial genetic alphabet using 2-thiouridine (s2U), 2-thiocytidine (s2C), inosine (I), and adenine (A), showing that their base pairs are isoenergetic and isomorphic, enabling balanced nucleotide incorporation in nonenzymatic RNA copying.