Origin of life digest

Time for a new OoL digest! This week we have stuff on astrobiology, biochemistry and information theory. In the astrobiology department, Yasui analyzes how impact heating influences organic material formation in asteroids, Famiano suggests a model for the origin of homochirality of amino acids in meteorites, Rosenthal presents the results of the California Legacy Survey on exoplanets around FGKM stars, Paradise analyzes the correlations between simulated exoplanet atmosphere spectra and the presence of liquid water on the surface, and Patty suggests spectropolarimetry as a way to detect alien life. In biochemistry, Guo suggests liquid-liquid non-associative phase separation as a possible compartmentalization mechanism, and Smith discusses the ambiguities between the biotic and the abiotic at the origin of life. Finally, I’ve included a podcast in which Sara I. Walker discusses the information theory of the origin of life. Happy reading!

In today’s digest we have several articles about biosignatures/astrochemistry. There are discussions of panspermia detectability, spectrum of chiral molecules and confirmed detection of phospholipids in the interstellar medium. We also have two articles about the identification of new biosignatures from assembly theory and stoichiometry. Moreover, we have a paper about the influence of synergestic coevolution on the rate of molecular evolution and another one discussing oxygen’s role in the development of multicellularity. Finally, we have an article about the expected number of autocatalytic sets in chemical systems. Happy reading!

In today’s digest, we have astrobiology papers about the formation of amino acids in meteorites and machine learning techniques as a classification tool for the biogenicity of molecular patterns. Moreover, in biochemistry we have a paper discussing HGT and its implications for LUCA, and another one on segregation. Finally, in planetary science we have two papers about planetary formation’s effect on habitability, and another one on Earth’s primitive atmosphere.

Today we have a smaller, but more diversified digest – Fisher demonstrates how multivariate analysis and metabolic networks can be useful to derive exoplanet properties, Tarnas looked at the chemical composition of Martian meteorites to see if radiolysis-driven habitats could exist on Mars, Steffens discusses the role of the reverse TCA cycle in hydrothermal vents ecology, Atzori analyzes the interaction between chiral materials and light under magnetic fields, and Herrmann discusses the reasons that might explain why the emergence of cyanobacteria did not immediately lead to the GOE.

Greetings from Montreal! Today we again have a lot of papers related to the OoL. In biochemistry, Jia examines the segregation of RNA in microdroplets, Li the role of hydrophobic-cationic peptides in wet-dry cycles, and Yagi the role that double-psi beta-barrel could have played in the early genetic code. In astrobiology, Davila looks at possible transfer scenarios between Mars and the Earth and Liu discusses the hypothesis of a reducing atmosphere on early Mars. Kaltenegger and Krissansen‐Totton both discuss biosignature observation, Turbet looks at the influence of the host star’s spectral properties on planetary habitability and Yang analyzes the reasons why the amounts of organic material differ through planet formation processes. Happy reading!

In today’s digest we mostly have articles in astrobiology about habitable zone theory and the spectroscopy of biosignatures, plus another one about the phosphine debate. There’s also one article in planetary sciences about biological activity in brines.

In this fifth edition of the OoL digest we have a lot of things — biosignatures, phase separation, and many other things — including an article about LBCA!

Time for our fourth OoL digest! Today, we are looking at RNA polymerization, the evolution of photosynthesis, the role of replicator death in evolution and that of lightning strikes on phosphorus reduction on early Earth.

Good morning from Montreal! Time for our third OoL digest. Today we have six articles in biochemistry/biology – four about parasites, the evolution of oxygen-utilizing enzymes, speciation in chemical evolution and tRNA, and two discussing the role of compartmentalization.

Alright, it’s already time for our second OoL digest! Today, we have one article in Earth Sciences discussing the detection of organic molecules from 3.5 billion years ago, and five others in biochemistry/biology about autocatalytic networks, evolution of replication, protein homochirality, scaling laws and in situ testing of theories on the origin of life. Happy reading!