Phosphorus in the Origin of Life

Dear Colleagues,

Life as we know it would not exist without phosphorus (P). From structural to functional, informational, and energetic roles, P is absolutely essential to life. This Special Issue, “Phosphorus in the Origins of Life”, aims to explore the roles that P plays at and leading up to life’s first beginnings. What were the key forms of P (e.g., mineral, meteoric, organic, reduced) in the early Earth environments that led to the basic building blocks for life? What were the crucial steps and mechanisms in their synthesis and catalysis? What are the alternatives and analogues to P-based life? How can our Earth model guide our understanding of the co-evolution of life and P biochemistry on other worlds? These are questions that require an integrated and multidisciplinary approach including but not limited to biochemistry, microbiology, biophysics, geology, astrobiology, mathematical modeling, and astronomy. We invite you to contribute to this Special Issue with an article that addresses one of these questions or a related question on prebiotic P synthesis, alternative sources of P for life, etc.

Prof. Dr. Ruth E. Blake
Dr. Matthew Pasek
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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