Geochemistry and the Origin of Life
A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Origin of Life".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2018) | Viewed by 45265
Special Issue Editor
Interests: prebiotic chemistry; origin of life; search for life in the Universe
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue will be dedicated to the origin of life in its geochemical environment. In addition to liquid water and organic molecules, specific environmental components and conditions were essential for the origin of life, i.e., phosphate, reactive rocks and minerals bathed by warm to hot hydrothermal fluids. Early Earth was not a perfect chemical laboratory for organic reactions, and thus prebiotic chemistry must embrace realistic geological scenarios. There are three critical steps leading towards primitive life: (1) concentration of the molecular components participating in prebiotic reactions and control of water activity, (2) stabilization and structural conformation of molecules, and (3) chemical evolution through complexification. In addition to new results in classical prebiotic chemistry and in comprehensive evaluation of the Hadean mineralogy, special attention will be paid to experimental data showing that the aforementioned processes are greatly aided by the presence of mineral surfaces. The present Special Issue aims to underline the importance of the mineral world for prebiotic chemistry and the emergence of life, opening fresh avenues for scientists to explore.
Dr. André Brack
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- origin of life
- prebiotic chemistry
- geochemical environment
- hydrothermal fluids
- hadean mineralogy
- mineral surface
- chemistry on the rocks
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