FIBR: The Emergence of Life: From Geochemistry to the Genetic Code

FIBR：生命的出现：从地球化学到遗传密码

• 批准号: 0526747
• 负责人: Harold Morowitz
• 金额: $ 499.95万
• 依托单位: Santa Fe Institute
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-09-15 至 2013-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0526747&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: FIBR; Emergence; Life; Geochemistry; Genetic

Harold Morowitz, Santa Fe Institute and George Mason UniversityShelley Copley, University of Colorado at BoulderNigel Goldenfeld, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignEric Smith, Santa Fe InstituteCarl Woese, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Carlos Castillo-Chavez, Arizona State UniversityGeorge Cody, Carnegie InstituteKenneth DeJong, George Mason UniversityZaida Luthey-Schulten, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignVijaya Sarathy Srinivasan, George Mason UniversityJames Trefil, George Mason UniversityThe emergence of life from abiotic geochemistry remains one of the central problems of biology, all the more salient with the discovery of extra-solar planets, the success of remote landing vehicles on Mars and Titan capable of detecting evidence for extra-terrestrial life, and the exploration of extreme or remote terrestrial environments. Despite the remoteness of the complex phenomena that constituted the various origins of the key aspects of terrestrial life, particularly the metabolic and replication mechanisms, numerous relics survive in the core pathways and features of modern organisms. This interdisciplinary project will synthesize these separate but convergent clues to early life from primordial geochemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, thermodynamics, evolutionary biology and the dynamics of genomes, to provide a coherent account of the evolution of metabolism and the development of the modern genetic code. This research will place strong constraints on the likely environment, manner and core metabolism of early life on Earth. The broader impacts of this interdisciplinary approach will be a working template for efforts to predict the nature of extra-terrestrial life and its detection from metabolic activity or other environmental effects. This project will be disseminated to a broad audience through a writer-in-residence program, trade publications, museum exhibits, an active web site, and K-12 outreach. Emanating from the research activities are projects involving highly-talented under-represented minority students from the Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Institute of Arizona State University, the NSF REU programs at the participating institutions, and the SFI Complex Systems Summer Schools. Results of this work will be integrated into core curricula and seminars emphasizing the centrality of multidisciplinary, biocomplexity-oriented collaboration in modern research, thus combining curriculum with opportunities for participation. The project will include a symposium intended to summarize its outcome to K-12 educators, and provide an overview of modern biogenesis and its broader implications for astrobiology.

Harold Morowitz，圣达菲研究所和乔治梅森大学Shelley Copley，科罗拉多大学博尔德分校Nigel Goldenfeld，伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校Eric Smith，圣达菲研究所Carl Woese，伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校。Carlos Castillo-Chavez，亚利桑那州立大学乔治科迪，卡内基研究所Kenneth DeJong， 乔治梅森大学Zaida Luthey-Schulten，伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校Vijaya Sarathy Srinivasan，乔治梅森大学詹姆斯·特雷菲尔，乔治梅森大学非生物地球化学中生命的出现仍然是生物学的核心问题之一，随着太阳系外行星的发现、火星和土卫六上能够探测证据的远程登陆器的成功，这一点变得更加突出 外星生命以及探索极端或偏远的陆地环境。尽管构成陆地生命关键方面的各种起源的复杂现象（特别是代谢和复制机制）距离遥远，但许多遗迹仍然存在于现代生物体的核心途径和特征中。这个跨学科项目将从原始地球化学、生物化学、分子生物学、热力学、进化生物学和基因组动力学中综合这些独立但聚合的早期生命线索，为新陈代谢的进化和现代遗传密码的发展提供连贯的解释。这项研究将对地球早期生命可能的环境、方式和核心代谢施加强有力的限制。 这种跨学科方法的更广泛影响将成为预测外星生命本质及其从代谢活动或其他环境影响中检测的工作模板。该项目将通过驻场作家计划、贸易出版物、博物馆展览、活跃的网站和 K-12 推广活动向广大受众传播。这些研究活动涉及来自亚利桑那州立大学数学和理论生物学研究所、参与机构的 NSF REU 项目以及 SFI 复杂系统暑期学校的才华横溢、代表性不足的少数族裔学生的项目。这项工作的成果将被纳入核心课程和研讨会，强调现代研究中多学科、面向生物复杂性的合作的中心地位，从而将课程与参与机会结合起来。该项目将包括一个研讨会，旨在向 K-12 教育工作者总结其成果，并概述现代生物起源及其对天体生物学的更广泛影响。