| | The transition from prelife, where self-replication does not occur, to life, where self-replication and evolution occur, has not been fully delineated. Membranes, forming protocells, seem to be a critical component of this transition as they provide several concurrent benefits. These benefits pave the way for the emergence and maintenance of simple metabolic cycles and information-bearing polymers. In the context of origin of life, evolution of information carrying molecules and RNA based enzymes within protocells has been subject to intensive theoretical and experimental research. In this talk, I will discuss several abstract properties of membranes that may have contributed to the transition from pre-life to life. | |
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