Science discovers the origin of life: deep-sea vents in focus!

Science discovers the origin of life: deep-sea vents in focus!

Dr. Martina Preiner, a talented researcher at the Microcosm Earth Future Center University of Marburg and at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, recently received a Human Frontiers Science Grant. This award recognizes their innovative research projects on the origin of life. Preiner and her team focus on studying porous mineral environments and their role in the emergence of the first life forms.

A key concern is understanding the interactions between organic cofactors and primary peptides found in geochemically shaped environments. Biomolecules known as cofactors play an essential role in biochemical reactions and are present in all organisms. In particular, research is being conducted into how these complex molecules cannot simply arise from inanimate environments. Preiner plans to construct mineral pore networks to allow biomolecules and enzyme precursors to interact.

Research methods and objectives

The research team will examine a comprehensive evolutionary history of reaction control to build self-sustaining reaction networks in the laboratory. The research is carried out from three perspectives: catalysis on mineral surfaces, chemistry in porous environments and the reconstruction of ancient enzymes. In addition to Martina Preiner, the team also includes Cole Mathis from Arizona State University and Liam M. Longo from the Earth-Life Science Institute. The application was selected as one of the five best groups out of 111 submitted.

The main goal of the project is to demonstrate how a protoenzymatic production system can produce cofactors necessary for the survival of life forms. The Human Frontier Science Program, which promotes international collaboration in life sciences research, is supporting this project financially and is supported by several countries and the EU.

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents: A key to the origin of life

In parallel to Preiner's research, an international research team has discovered that underwater hydrothermal vents could be possible places for the formation of protocells. The scientists simulated chemical reactions that take place at these deep-sea vents and found that mineralized hot water with dissolved CO2 and hydrogen can lead to the formation of protocells under the right conditions. Cologne also found that suitable metal catalysts are crucial for these processes.

In a laboratory experiment, the researchers were able to show that a reaction at 100 °C overnight converts carbon dioxide and hydrogen into formic acid, acetates and pyruvates. These products can serve as starting material for the formation of other organic molecules. Until now, the use of enzymes as a catalyst was necessary, but the new findings can point the way to the past, where simple chemical reactions were catalyzed by metals and minerals, eventually leading to the formation of more complex nucleic acids and proteins.

The research shows that hydrogen served as a central building block for early biochemical processes and underlines the important role of hydrothermal systems in the creation of life. The results of the studies also provide interesting clues about the transition from geochemical to biochemical processes, which were published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Combining these two research approaches could open a new horizon in our understanding of the origins of life on Earth. Innovative approaches like those of Dr. Preiner and her colleagues are crucial to unraveling the complex mechanisms that ultimately led to the first life forms.