Driving forces in the origins of life

What were the physico-chemical forces that drove the origins of life? We discuss four major prebiotic 'discoveries': persistent sampling of chemical reaction space; sequence-encodable foldable catalysts; assembly of functional pathways; and encapsulation and heritability. We describe how a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Open biology 2021-02, Vol.11 (2), p.200324
Main Authors: Dill, K A, Agozzino, L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
autocatalysis
Biocatalysis
Evolution, Molecular
fitness
Origin of Life
Polymerization
Review
survival of the fittest
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Summary:What were the physico-chemical forces that drove the origins of life? We discuss four major prebiotic 'discoveries': persistent sampling of chemical reaction space; sequence-encodable foldable catalysts; assembly of functional pathways; and encapsulation and heritability. We describe how a 'proteins-first' world gives plausible mechanisms. We note the importance of hydrophobic and polar compositions of matter in these advances.
ISSN:2046-2441
2046-2441
DOI:10.1098/rsob.200324