How were polypeptides formed prebiotically on the early earth? One experimental proposal is that polyesters were formed first and subsequently transformed into polyamides by ester-mediated amide bond formation via wet-dry thermal cycles. We examine this idea computationally by constructing the free energy map for the initial steps of oligomerization in a mixture of glycine and glycolic acid to form oligoesters, oligoamides, and depsipeptides, in aqueous solution.

Constructing a free-energy map for the initial steps of glycine: Glycolic acid co-oligomerization

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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