How Does Life Begin and Develop?
Goal
1
How
Life Arose on Earth
Goal
2
Organization of Matter into Living Systems
Goal
4
Coevolution of the Biosphere and the Earth
Does Life Exist Elsewhere in the Universe?
Goal
7
Signature of Life on Other Worlds
Goal
8
Life on Mars and Europa
What is Life's Future on Earth and Beyond?
Goal
9
Environmental Change on Earth
Goal
10
Terrestrial Life in Space
Queston: How Does Life Begin and Develop?
Goal
2: Determine the General Principles Governing the Organization of Matter
into Living Systems
Use laboratory
and computational approaches to establish the general physical and chemical
principles that lead to the emergence of living systems under different
conditions in the universe.
To understand the full potential of life in the universe we must establish the general physical and chemical principles that lead to the emergence of systems capable of converting molecules for energy and growth (catalysis), generating offspring (reproduction), and changing as conditions warrant (evolution). Terrestrial life is based on the chemistry of carbon moderated by liquid water. Such organic chemistry is common throughout the cosmos. But are terrestrial biochemistry and molecular biology the only such phenomena that can support life? Having only one example, we do not know which properties of life are general and necessary, and which are the result of specific circumstances or historical accident. We seek these answers by pursuing laboratory experimental approaches and computational theoretical approaches.
Background
The molecular machinery leading to the origin of life on other planets might well be substantially different from the one that formed on the early Earth because the remarkable versatility of organic chemistry offers multiple solutions for the basic requirements of life. Life on Earth represents only one example of living systems. One genetic code, one set of amino acids of specific chirality, and one energy currency have survived from primitive Earth. To understand the full potential of life in the universe it is necessary to go beyond our specific example and establish the general physical and chemical principles that lead to the emergence of the primary attributes of the living state: auto-catalysis, self-organization, spatial containment of functions, reproduction and evolution. This can be done by combining experimental and theoretical (computational) approaches, in which the fundamental principles governing biological organization of matter can be tested by constructing new biomimetic systems that possess the main attributes of a living state. This research is in effect a generalization of the origin of terrestrial life (Goal 1) and is related directly to the question of life on other worlds (Goal 6, Goal 7, and Goal 8).