Biology

Lecture

Gresham College Lecture by Nick Lane (20 May 2019) Energy and Matter at the Origin of Life

References from slide of ATP (3’57): Rich, P. Nature 421:583 (2003)

Methanogenesis

CO2 + 4H2 -> CH4 + 2H20

40 times the mass ox excretion products as mass of cell.

Life is a SIDE REACTION of a main exothermic reaction

Slide at 6’53’’

Stanley Miller experiment from 1953. Flasks with methane, ammonia and hydrogen. Electrical discharges produced a series of aminoacids. ‘Bigger deal’ than Crick and Watson’s DNA publication, also from 1953.

Slide at 7’33’’ Primordial soup: no evidence of it existed; nothing to contain the reactants; high entropy; no thermodynamic driving force.

Slide at 10’22’’ Günther Wächtershäuser: criticism against the primordial soup.

Slide at 11’29’’ Black Smokers. Discovered in 1978

Problem with black smokers: The energy depends on the reaction of H2S or H2 with O2. O2 comes from photosynthesis, that is, from the sun.

Cyanosulfidic protometabolism

Cyanide Cyanoacetylene Formamide UV radiation Zn sulphide Wet-dry cycles

Jim-Peaco National Park

John Sutherland? ‘Frankenstein chemistry’

Christian de Duve - nobel prize winner (physiology) Enzymes created by selection. Geochemistry becomes biochemistry. The same pathways.

Mitochondrial ATP synthase. Sir John Walker.

Lecture by John Walker

‘Fuel of Life’ dated 16 Nov 2018.

Mention of chemiosmosis, proposed by Peter Mitchel (Nobel Prize recipient in 1978). “Proton motive force”.

Voltage of -200 mV across the membrane of the mitochondria.

Non-shivering thermo-genesis in babies.

Other lectures

Lecture by Nick Lane at Royal Institution (video, 2015) - Why is Life the way it is?

Lecture by Matthew Cobb (Manchester) at the Royal Institution - The race to crack the genetic code

Lecture by Michael Russell (2012) (youtube)

References (2:55) Lane et al. 2010 BioEssays 32, 271;

based on Russell et al. 1994, JME, 39, 231

Nitschke and Russell, 2009, JME, 69, 481

Russell 2003, Science 302, 580

Seewald et al. 2006 GCA 70, 446

“Lost city” discovery, Kelley at al. 2001, Nature 412, 145

Science 2005, 307, 1428-1434

Martin et al, 2008, Nature Microbiol. Rev. 6, 805-814

Maden 2000, “The reason there is life”, Biochemistry Journal, 350, 609

Yung et al, 2010, J. Cosmol. 5, 1121

Laboratory simulation of an alkaline seepage into acidulous ocean. ( 8:44 into the talk)

Mielke at al. Astrobiol, 10, 799

Uses molibdenum or tungsten.

“The rocky roots of the Acetyl-Coenzyme-A Pathway”

10:00 - references Russell and Martin, 2004, TIBS 29, 358-363,

Nitschke and Russel, 2009, JME, 69, 481-496

Origin of life through convection and serpentinization - Michael Russell talk (SETI Talks) 9 April 2013 (youtube)