Nick Hud, a chemist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and his collaborators are looking beyond biology to the role of chemistry in the development of life. Perhaps before biology arose, there was a preliminary stage of proto-life, in which chemical processes alone created a smorgasbord of RNAs or RNA-like molecules. "I think there were a lot of steps before you get to a self-replicating self-sustaining system,"Hud said.
In this scenario, a variety of RNA-like molecules could form spontaneously, helping the chemical pool to simultaneously invent many of the parts needed for life to emerge. Proto-life forms experimented with primitive molecular machinery, sharing their parts. The entire system worked like a giant community swap meet. Only once this system was established could a self-replicating RNA emerge.
Nick Hud, a chemist at Georgia Tech, proposes that chemical evolution played a significant role in the origins of life.
Courtesy of Nicholas Hud
Nick Hud, a chemist at Georgia Tech, proposes that chemical evolution played a significant role in the origins of life.
At the heart of Hud's proposal is a chemical means for generating a rich diversity of proto-life. Computer simulations show that certain chemical conditions can produce a varied collection of RNA-like molecules. And the team is currently testing the idea with real molecules in the lab; they hope to publish the results soon.