Examining Proteomes And Earth’s Deep Oceans As The Location Of The Origin of Terrestrial Life

by Keith CowingFebruary 2, 2023February 2, 2023

RT as a function of βΔ for one prokaryote (KEGG code ebw, green crosses) and the average values over the entire KEGG database of 4555 prokaryotes (purple plusses). The error bars (purple) indicate the standard deviation over the full data set. The variable βΔ is the bond energy Δ divided by kBT where T is the assumed ambient temperature. The graph shows that the proteome has a length distribution at a temperature close to equilibrium at about 400,000, although most of the prokaryotes commonly live at much lower temperatures. -- Life

Some standard arguments are reviewed supporting deep ocean trenches as a likely location for the origin of terrestrial life.

An analysis of proteomes of contemporary prokaryotes carried out by this group is cited as supporting evidence, indicating that the original proteins were formed by quenching from temperatures close to the boiling point of water.

Coarse-grained simulations of the network formation process which agree quite well with experiments of such quenches both in drying and rapid fluid emission from a hot to a cold fluid are also described and cited as support for such a scenario.

We suggest further experiments, observations and theoretical and simulation work to explore this hypothesis.

J. W. Halley

Some Factors from Theory, Simulation, Experiment and Proteomes in the Current Biosphere Supporting Deep Oceans as the Location of the Origin of Terrestrial Life, Life (open access)

Astrobiology

Keith Cowing

Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp... More by Keith Cowing