The origin of life entails a continuum from simple prebiotic chemistry to cells with genes and
molecular machines. Using life as a guide to this continuum, we consider how selection …

Serpentinization in hydrothermal vents is central to some autotrophic theories for the origin
of life because it generates compartments, reductants, catalysts and gradients. During the …

ATP is universally conserved as the principal energy currency in cells, driving metabolism
through phosphorylation and condensation reactions. Such deep conservation suggests that …

The demonstration by Ivan Barnes et al. that the serpentinization of fresh Alpine-type
ultramafic rocks results in the exhalation of hot alkaline fluids is foundational to the …

The origin of the genetic code is an abiding mystery in biology. Hints of a 'code within the
codons' suggest biophysical interactions, but these patterns have resisted interpretation …

A protometabolic approach to the origins of life assumes that the conserved biochemistry of
metabolism has direct continuity with prebiotic chemistry. One of the most important amino …

Current evidence suggests that some form of cellular organization arose well before the time
of the last universal common ancestor (LUCA). Standard phylogenetic analyses have shown …

The genetic code conceals a 'code within the codons', which hints at biophysical interactions
between amino acids and their cognate nucleotides. Yet, research over decades has failed …

Elucidating compositions of the first cell membranes requires experiments with molecules
and chemical conditions representative of early Earth. The molecules used are described as …

The role of evolutionary theory at the origin of life is an extensively debated topic. The origin
and early development of life is usually separated into a prebiotic phase and a protocellular …