Modelling Life-Like Behavior in Systems Chemistry

Dear Colleagues,

The main difference between man-made processes and products, and those found in the living world, is that the former are typically passive and static while the latter are active and dynamic. Life is the product of complex systems of molecular reactions; connections and interactions giving rise to a highly dynamic and functional whole. It is now possible that the ability to control dynamic chemical systems may pave the way to understanding the emergence of function in early evolution, and consequently, for the design and preparation of functional biomimetic systems as complex as artificial cells and tissues. Furthermore, it is anticipated that developing such systems can deliver, in the short and long term, radically different approaches in areas ranging from materials science to evolvable biologics for medicine. The design and study of complex systems, i.e., of dynamic, self-organized, multi-component chemical networks, has been integrated under the umbrella of the recently inaugurated discipline of Systems Chemistry.

The first Gordon Research Conference offered an international venue for presenting and discussing breakthrough results in systems chemistry, for sharing new emerging methodology, and for refinement of the ideas coherently across these rapidly emerging new research directions. This Special Issue of Life will continue these discussions through the publication of a collection of philosophy, theory, simulation and modelling studies related to “Systems Chemistry and the Origin of Life”.

The Gordon Research Conference “Systems Chemistry from Concepts to Conception” organized by David Lynn and Gonen Ashkenasy was held at Newry, Maine, USA on July 29–August 3, 2018. Speakers and poster presenters in the conference are cordially invited to contribute original research papers or reviews to this Special Issue of Life.

Prof. Dr. Gonen Ashkenasy
Prof. Dr. David Lynn
Guest Editors

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