![Biopolymer Solvent scoring. (A) Relationship between the fraction of the biopolymer compatible range and the liquid range of solvents and the average fractional efficiency for conversion of folding free energy to sequence information, for 54 solvents at 1 atm. Large black circle: water. Green circles: hydrocarbons. Magenta circles: small substances from C, H, O, N and S. Grey circles: other solvents in Table 1. Black line: range for water calculated from the uncertainty in the dynamic transition temperature presented in Figure 3 (values range from 180 to 230K). The grey lines indicate constant values of the BSscore (Equation [9]). (B) Ranking of the solvents according to the BSscore. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Solvent-Constraints-For-Biopolymer.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
We propose that spontaneous folding and molecular evolution of biopolymers are two universal aspects that must concur for life to happen.
solvents
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Alternative Solvents For Life: Framework For Evaluation, Current Status And Future Research
Life is a complex, dynamic chemical system that requires a dense fluid solvent in which to take place. A common assumption is that the most likely solvent for life is […]
![Temperature domains of water and terrestrial biopolymers at atmospheric pressure. Left: temperature domains of stability and metastability for liquid and glassy water (black) and dynamic transition (red) (11–13). Equilibrium transitions are shown as full lines, kinetically controlled transitions as dashed lines. Right: temperature domains and glass transition for folding of terrestrial biopolymers (blue). Circles indicate proteins (15–19, 27), squares indicate RNA (16, 20–22) and triangles indicate DNA (23–26). Above the glass transition temperature (dashed line) a biopolymer can search for its folded form in an efficient manner. Below the biopolymer glass transition temperature a biopolymer is trapped in a rough energy landscape and will not fold in a biology relevant timescale. The theoretical limits for Tsel and Tf calculated from the average glass transition temperature and formula [4] to [6] are shown as continuous lines. Adapted from (11). -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Solventconstraints.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Solvent Constraints For Biopolymer Folding And Evolution In Extraterrestrial Environments
We propose that spontaneous folding and molecular evolution of biopolymers are two universal aspects that must concur for life to happen.
![Biopolymer Solvent scoring. (A) Relationship between the fraction of the biopolymer compatible range and the liquid range of solvents and the average fractional efficiency for conversion of folding free energy to sequence information, for 54 solvents at 1 atm. Large black circle: water. Green circles: hydrocarbons. Magenta circles: small substances from C, H, O, N and S. Grey circles: other solvents in Table 1. Black line: range for water calculated from the uncertainty in the dynamic transition temperature presented in Figure 3 (values range from 180 to 230K). The grey lines indicate constant values of the BSscore (Equation [9]). (B) Ranking of the solvents according to the BSscore. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/solvent.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Solvent Constraints For Biopolymer Folding And Evolution In Extraterrestrial Environments
We propose that spontaneous folding and molecular evolution of biopolymers are two universal aspects that must concur for life to happen.