There are many different examples of how polymerization of simple amino acids occurred on the early Earth including the spontaneous polymerization of glycine under controlled pH and temperature conditions. While lipid surfaces are known to enhance certain polymerization reactions, the prebiotic polymerization of amino acids on lipid surfaces is yet untested. This research shows dehydration and rehydration of aqueous samples in the presence of lipids is effective in polymerizing glycine monomers. The cycling of these samples at neutral pH has shown the formation of dimer and trimer based on IP-HPLC analysis. Working at roughly pH 7 has been more effective than working in extremely acidic or extremely basic conditions. Executing the dehydration/rehydration cycles in the presence of various lipid membranes has shown long oligopeptides formation compared to the samples analyzed in the absence of a lipid membrane. These results allude to a relationship between amino acid polymerization and the presence of a cell membrane, prior to the origins of life.

Membrane assisted polymerization of amino acids

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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