The abiotic formation of biological macromolecules is considered to have played an important role in the prebiotic origins of life on early Earth. Understandably, almost all of the previous (and many of the current) approaches rely exclusively on clues taken from extant biological molecules, biochemical pathways and paradigms (DNA↔RNA↔proteins) to inform the prebiotic chemical roots of the extant biopolymers. Such a linear extrapolation back in time (to almost 4 billion years ago) of many aspects of extant biology – although seemingly logical at first glance based on arguments of parsimony – has led to transient answers and resolutions while creating more questions and problems. In addressing this issue, research from the Center for Chemical Evolution has taken a different approach by considering and including the other potentially primordial compounds that would have naturally formed, and been present alongside the biologically relevant molecules. This strategy allows for a library of scenarios consisting of prebiotically plausible alternative and biological molecules, and the combinatorial systems derived thereof. Such a (heterogeneous) mixture may have, via indirect pathways and scenarios, set the stage for the later emergence of the extant (homogeneous) biological macromolecules. This research paradigm, which is different from the sole-reliance on “biology-looking-backwards”, consists of (a) the creation of library of plausible prebiotic macromolecules that includes the potentially natural and primordial alternatives (b) the study of their properties and emergent behavior under early Earth environments, and (c) importantly, the demonstration of how these libraries, under the natural conditions, can lead to the spontaneous emergence of, and transition to, biological macromolecules. Such a non-teleological approach is not only powerful in elucidating the chemical and physical principles behind the emergence of biological macromolecules, but is also a potent tool in systematically creating artificial systems that are capable of changing, and going beyond, the current biological paradigm. The presentation will highlight relevant results from the work within the Center.

Understanding the emergence of biological macromolecules through potentially natural and primordial alternatives

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.