Experimental Approaches for Testing the Hypothesis of the Emergence of Life at Submarine Alkaline Vents

Author(s)

Altair, Thiago ^[1] ; Borges, Luiz G. F. ^[2] ; Galante, Douglas ^[2] ; Varela, Hamilton ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos Inst Chem, BR-13560970 Sao Carlos - Brazil

^[2] Brazilian Ctr Res Energy & Mat CNPEM, Brazilian Synchrotron Light Lab LNLS, BR-13083100 Campinas - Brazil

• Document type: Review article
• Source: LIFE-BASEL; v. 11, n. 8 AUG 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Since the pioneering experimental work performed by Urey and Miller around 70 years ago, several experimental works have been developed for approaching the question of the origin of life based on very few well-constructed hypotheses. In recent years, attention has been drawn to the so-called alkaline hydrothermal vents model (AHV model) for the emergence of life. Since the first works, perspectives from complexity sciences, bioenergetics and thermodynamics have been incorporated into the model. Consequently, a high number of experimental works from the model using several tools have been developed. In this review, we present the key concepts that provide a background for the AHV model and then analyze the experimental approaches that were motivated by it. Experimental tools based on hydrothermal reactors, microfluidics and chemical gardens were used for simulating the environments of early AHVs on the Hadean Earth (similar to 4.0 Ga). In addition, it is noteworthy that several works used techniques from electrochemistry to investigate phenomena in the vent-ocean interface for early AHVs. Their results provided important parameters and details that are used for the evaluation of the plausibility of the AHV model, and for the enhancement of it. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/12491-2 - Thermodynamic and electrocatalitic aspects in free energy transfer models for the emergency of life on early earth
• Grantee: Thiago Altair Ferreira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 13/16930-7 - Electrocatalysis V: electrocatalytic processes of chemical and electrical energy interconversion
• Grantee: Edson Antonio Ticianelli
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 19/22183-6 - Electrocatalysis VI: fundamental and applied aspects of emerging and classical problems in electrochemical energy conversion
• Grantee: Edson Antonio Ticianelli
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants