2023 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
pH Gradient Dependent Geo-Electrochemical Origin of Life on Aqua Planets in the Universe
| Project/Area Number |
22K18278
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| Research Institution | Tokyo Institute of Technology |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
中村 龍平 東京工業大学, 地球生命研究所, 教授 (10447419)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2022-06-30 – 2025-03-31
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| Keywords | hydrothermal vents / origin of life / catalysis / electron transfer / proton motive force / early metabolism / Archean / evolution |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
How life used energy to construct itself at the origin of life is unknown. We hypothesized that naturally existing pH gradients at hydrothermal vents could be harnessed by early life and used for synthesis activities. To investigate this we are constructing simulated hydrothermal vents in the laboratory and investigating catalysis. Currently we have focussed on electron transfer reactions to and from potential early co-factors and we may also begin styling peptides. . In this year we have demonstrated co-factor oxidation and reduction using iron-sulfide precipitates in a micro fluidic reactor. Going further, we have investigated the mineral precipitate using microscopy and spectroscopy. We successfully developed the ability to inject solutions under hydrothermal-like conditions including with the use of multiple types of gasses which can be used as reactants in our experiments. Our work will furnish new understandings of how early life may have used energy, and also the type of energy used. In our next steps we will focus on high spatial resolution techniques including the application of synchrotron x-ray radiation where we can visualize the reduction state of iron and sulfur during experiments.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
1: Research has progressed more than it was originally planned.
Reason
We have successfully demonstrated reduction reactions coupled to oxidation reactions in a simulated hydrothermal vent mineral precipitate. We have established the facilities to perform more detailed experiments and are currently working towards frontier spectroscopy including in operando Raman and synchrotron x-ray analyses. Our findings will have far reaching impact into the understandings of the chemical origins of life as well as mineralogy of hydrothermal vents.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
In our subsequent work we will investigate a range of reactions including additional primordial co-factors as well as inorganic electron donors and oxidants. We will incorporate these results into models of early metabolism and identify more clearly the overlaps between geochemistry and biochemistry.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Significant time was needed to find a suitable team member to join the project. Now that person has been hired by the project and the work is progressing smoothly. The budget will be used as planned, but is expected to be extended for one year longer than the initially proposed term.
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