The origin of life may have emerged through physical mechanisms that enable molecular organization and self-assembly. Building on Alexander Oparin’s concept of coacervate droplets, liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) offers a […]
natural selection
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, NASA Astrobiology Program, Status Report
The Origin, Extension, and Future of the “NASA Definition” of Life
The “NASA definition” enjoys broad popularity among scientists, particularly in the astrobiology community: life is “a self-sustained chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution.”
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
A Niche Construction-based Perspective On Chemical Evolution Before Replication And Reproduction
Conceptual analysis has, in the past decades, established that evolution by natural selection (ENS) can occur without reproduction (1–6). This theoretical advancement has significant imports for research on the origins […]
![The original role of proteins was to stabilize RNA, rather than to act as enzymes. (a) The peptidyl transferase center of the Escherichia coli ribosome [96]. The figure shows the RNA that forms the catalytic site, as identified by [97], with the three proteins that form the closest association with it: the large subunit proteins L2 (red), L4 (green) and L15 (magenta). All of these have substantial non-globular parts, which are the parts in contact with the RNA. The catalytic center is in the middle of the RNA helix. (b) The human 17S U2 snRNP involved in the first step of RNA splicing [98], showing the RNA core and the protein most closely associated with it (splicing factor 3b). Again, the part of the protein in contact with the RNA is lacking in regular secondary structure. -- LIFE via PubMed](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Autocatalytic-Selection-As-A-Driver.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Autocatalytic Selection As A Driver For The Origin Of Life
Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection was revolutionary because it provided a mechanism by which variation could be selected. This mechanism can only operate on living systems and thus […]