The Origins of Life
 |
Role of vesicles in enabling
Darwinian evolution of a replicase
Click to enlarge |
It is generally accepted that life in its present form — with proteins
performing most enzymatic functions and nucleic acids comprising the genetic
material — was preceded by a period in which nucleic acid, either
RNA or a closely related polymer, filled both roles.
The laboratory is utilizing a diverse array of molecular biological and
chemical tools to create model systems for the study of the origin of
life. The main goals are:
- to establish a system for the replication of nucleic
acids that does not rely on proteins
- to establish physical and chemical methods for
the growth and division of fatty acid vesicles
- to encapsulate a replicating nucleic acid system
in fatty acid vesicles to create protocells
- to subject protocells to Darwinian selection in
order to understand the evolution of complex metabolism
Click here to see a web presentation on the origins of life created by Janet Iwasa of the Szostak Lab.
|
