Deep-sea hydrothermal electricity elucidates origin of life: Proposal of Electro-Iron-Sulfur World theory

• Project/Area Number: 26610188
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Geochemistry/Cosmochemistry
• Research Institution: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: YAMAMOTO Masahiro 国立研究開発法人海洋研究開発機構, 深海・地殻内生物圏研究分野, 研究員 (60435849)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥2,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥570,000)
• Keywords: アストロバイオロジー / 生命の起源 / 化学進化 / 熱水噴出孔 / 電気化学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I performed on-site measurement of redox potential on the surfaces of minerals around deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and proved that electricity generated in vent wall between hydrothermal fluid and seawater. It was also supported by laboratory experiment of measurement of redox potential on sulfide minerals in electrochemical cell. In addition, we observed that parts of primitive organic metabolic pathways were driven by controlled potential on the surface of sulfide minerals in electrochemical cells. These findings support the hypothesis that origin of life occurred on deep-sea hydrothermal vent.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Electrochemical CO2 Reduction by Ni-containing iron sulfides: how is CO2 electrochemically reduced at bisulfide-bearing deep-sea hydrothermal precipitates? (2014)
  • Author(s): Yamaguchi, A., Yamamoto, M., Takai, K., Ishii, T., Hashimoto, K., and Nakamura, R.
  • Journal Title: Electrochimica Acta Volume: 141 Pages: 311-318
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2014.07.078
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Presentation] 深海熱水噴出孔における自然発電の実証と電気生態系の調査 (2016)
  • Author(s): 山本正浩, 中村龍平, 川市智史, 笠谷貴史, 谷崎明子, 阿部真理子, 津田美和子, 高木善弘, 熊谷英憲, 鈴木勝彦, 高井研
  • Organizer: ブルーアース 2016
  • Place of Presentation: 東京海洋大学品川キャンパス（東京都港区）
  • Year and Date: 2016-03-08
• [Presentation] 深海熱水噴出孔表面における電気的化学進化の検証 (2016)
  • Author(s): 山本正浩
  • Organizer: 第4回 宇宙における生命ワークショップABCプロジェクト成果発表会
  • Place of Presentation: 一橋大学一橋講堂（東京都千代田区）
  • Year and Date: 2016-03-07
• [Presentation] 代謝が重要。代謝の進化。深海熱水噴出孔における発電現象は生命の起源を説明できるか？ (2015)
  • Author(s): 山本正浩
  • Organizer: NINS/IURIC Colloquium 2015「学術研究の将来」
  • Place of Presentation: ヤマハリゾートつま恋（静岡県掛川市）
  • Year and Date: 2015-12-01
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Electrochemical evolution of primordial metabolic core on deep-sea hydrothermal vent (2015)
  • Author(s): Masahiro Yamamoto, Ryuhei Nakamura, Ken Takai
  • Organizer: 8th Astrobiology Workshop
  • Place of Presentation: 東京工業大学地球生命研究所（東京都目黒区）
  • Year and Date: 2015-11-27
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Reproduction of primitive metabolic pathways on the iron sulfide surface with electricity (2015)
  • Author(s): Masahiro Yamamoto, Ryuhei Nakamura, Akiko Tanizaki, Ken Takai, Mitsuhiro Toriumi
  • Organizer: Goldschmidt 2015
  • Place of Presentation: Prague, the Czech Republic
  • Year and Date: 2015-08-15
  • Int'l Joint Research