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Synthesis of biological components using CO2 fluid in simulated hadean hydrothermal system

Research Project

Project/Area Number 18K18783
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Review Section Medium-sized Section 17:Earth and planetary science and related fields
Research InstitutionTokyo Institute of Technology

Principal Investigator

Fujishima Kosuke  東京工業大学, 地球生命研究所, 准教授 (00776411)

Project Period (FY) 2018-06-29 – 2021-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
Budget Amount *help
¥5,720,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,320,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥2,340,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥540,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Keywords化学進化 / アミノ酸 / 核酸 / 二酸化炭素流体 / 初期地球 / 高分子 / 核酸前駆体 / 高圧環境 / 相分離 / CO2流体 / 深海 / 界面化学 / 分子進化 / 深海熱水環境 / 生体高分子 / 脱水縮合反応
Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been a key issue in the research on the "origin of life" to consider which environments on the primitive earth are suitable for synthesizing organic molecules related to life. In this study, we focused on the hydrophobic and hydrophilic two-layer environment of CO2 fluid (liquid/supercritical) located near the deep-sea hydrothermal system, and reproduced the same environment using a small high-pressure reactor. As a result of observing chemical changes inside the reactor with respect to combinations of amino acid and nucleic acid constituents, it was found that molecules (unknown, most likely not a dipeptide) was synthesized in the reaction solution containing amino acids at high temperature and high pressure. In the mid temperature range, a combination of nucleotide precursors and phosphate yielded very small amounts of nucleotide monophosphate.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

生命の起源の問題を考えることは、すなわち我々のルーツを探るという試みであり、その学術的意義は生命科学のみならず、人文科学や哲学といった分野にまで波及効果がある。本研究では、これまであまり注目されてこなかった初期地球環境に存在していたであろう深海の化学反応場を実験室内で再現し、これまで有機物の高分子化に重要な脱水反応が進む陸地を想定した環境とは異なる条件で初めて化学進化実験を行うことができた。同時に地球科学、有機化学、分析化学をまたがるような学際的研究を展開したことにより学術分野の発展に少なからず寄与することができたと考える

Report

(4 results)
  • 2020 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2019 Research-status Report
  • 2018 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (2 results)

All 2020

All Presentation (2 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 2 results)

  • [Presentation] Supercritical fluids in the search for origins-of-life in Earth and beyond2020

    • Author(s)
      Caner Akil, Kosuke Fujishima
    • Organizer
      JpGU-AGU Joint Meeting 2020
    • Related Report
      2020 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Supercritical fluids in the search for origins-of-life in Earth and beyond2020

    • Author(s)
      CANER AKIL
    • Organizer
      JpGU-AGU Joint Meeting 2020
    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research

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Published: 2018-07-25   Modified: 2022-01-27  

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