We present a testable hypothesis related to an origin of life on land in which fluctuating
volcanic hot spring pools play a central role. The hypothesis is based on experimental …

The general notion of an “RNA world” is that, in the early development of life on the Earth,
genetic continuity was assured by the replication of RNA, and RNA molecules were the chief …

Molecular profiling of circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) provides a promising
noninvasive means to diagnose, monitor, and predict the course of metastatic breast cancer …

Over the last 70 years, prebiotic chemists have been very successful in synthesizing the
molecules of life, from amino acids to nucleotides. Yet there is strikingly little resemblance …

Submarine hydrothermal vents are geochemically reactive habitats that harbour rich
microbial communities. There are striking parallels between the chemistry of the H2–CO2 …

Before the origin of simple cellular life, the building blocks of RNA (nucleotides) had to form
and polymerize in favorable environments on early Earth. At this time, meteorites and …

The aqueous alteration of ultramafic rocks through serpentinization liberates mantle carbon
and reducing power. Serpentinization occurs in numerous settings on present day Earth …

Harnessing energy as ion gradients across membranes is as universal as the genetic code.
We leverage new insights into anaerobe metabolism to propose geochemical origins that …

The Logic of Chance offers a reappraisal and a new synthesis of theories, concepts, and
hypotheses on the key aspects of the evolution of life on earth in light of comparative …

Chemical gardens are perhaps the best example in chemistry of a self-organizing
nonequilibrium process that creates complex structures. Many different chemical systems …