谴责生命的起源仍然是科学中最深刻的谜团之一。几千年来,理论已经演变,然而问题仍然存在:生命是如何从无生命的物质中产生的?在其核心,对生命起源的研究提供了我们在宇宙中的位置和生命本身的本质的见解。通过深入研究导致生命出现的化学和地质过程,科学家对支配生命系统的基本原则有了更深入的了解。这些知识不仅扩展了我们的科学理解,而且对从天体生物学到合成生物学的领域也具有深远的影响。这项研究采用了多学科的方法,结合各种技术,从太空任务到湿实验室实验到理论建模。对第一个原生物分子形成的研究旨在探索支撑生命的复杂分子过程以及可能发生这些过程的地质背景。虽然实验室实验旨在模仿早期行星的过程,并非每个过程和样本都是可以实现的。为此,我们展示了使用分子建模技术来补充实验工作和外星任务。模拟使研究人员能够测试假设并探索在实验室中难以或不可能复制的场景,弥合我们在巨大的时间和空间尺度上理解益生元过程的差距。矿物,特别是层状结构,如粘土和水滑石,在生命的起源中扮演不同和关键的角色。它们浓缩有机物种,催化聚合反应(如肽形成),并为分子提供保护性环境。矿物质也被认为是原始的遗传物质。然而,他们可能缺乏长期信息复制的能力。相反,我们建议矿物可以作为环境循环现象中编码的信息的转录者,如潮汐或季节变化。我们认为,对生产的聚合物进行广泛的保护将使其固定,使其对任何进一步的功能无效。因此,为了产生功能性聚合物,它必须保持流动性和化学活性。此外,我们建议一种鉴定伪生物签名的途径,在同一矿物表面上聚合并因此通过过度保护而保留的聚合物。本帐户提供了对目前对层状矿物表面对生命起源和生物特征保存作用的理解的全面评估。它强调了矿物-有机相互作用的复杂性,并提出了原始生物分子出现的途径以及识别和解释潜在生物特征的方法。最终,探索生命起源的探索继续推动科学探索和创新,对存在的基本本质和我们在宇宙中的地位提供了深刻的见解。
ConspectusThe origin of life remains one of the most profound mysteries in science. Over millennia, theories have evolved, yet the question persists: How did life emerge from inanimate matter? At its core, the study of life\'s origin offers insights into our place in the universe and the nature of life itself. By delving into the chemical and geological processes that led to life\'s emergence, scientists gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles that govern living systems. This knowledge not only expands our scientific understanding but also has profound implications for fields ranging from astrobiology to synthetic biology.This research employs a multidisciplinary approach, combining a diverse array of techniques, from space missions to wet laboratory experiments to theoretical modeling. Investigations into the formation of the first proto-biomolecules are tailored to explore both the complex molecular processes that underpin life and the geological contexts in which these processes may have occurred. While laboratory experiments are aimed at mimicking the processes of early planets, not every process and sample is attainable. To this end, we demonstrate the use of molecular modeling techniques to complement experimental efforts and extraterrestrial missions. The simulations enable researchers to test hypotheses and explore scenarios that are difficult or impossible to replicate in the laboratory, bridging gaps in our understanding of prebiotic processes across vast time and space scales.Minerals, particularly layered structures like clays and hydrotalcites, play diverse and pivotal roles in the origin of life. They concentrate organic species, catalyze polymerization reactions (such as peptide formation), and provide protective environments for the molecules. Minerals have also been suggested to have acted as primitive genetic materials. Nevertheless, they may lack the ability for long-term information replication. Instead, we suggest that minerals may act as transcribers of information encoded in environmental cyclic phenomena, such as tidal or seasonal changes. We argue that extensive protection of the produced polymer will immobilize it, making it inactive for any further function. Therefore, in order to generate a functional polymer, it is essential that it remains mobile and chemically active. Furthermore, we suggest a route to the identification of pseudobiosignatures, a polymer that was polymerized on the same mineral surface and consequently retained through overprotection.This Account presents a comprehensive evaluation of the current understanding of the role of layered mineral surfaces on life\'s origin and biosignature preservation. It highlights the complexity of mineral-organic interactions and proposes pathways for proto-biomolecule emergence and methods for identifying and interpreting potential biosignatures. Ultimately, the quest to uncover the origin of life continues to drive scientific exploration and innovation, offering profound insights into the fundamental nature of existence and our place in the universe.