The Prebiotic Evolution of Redox Chemistry on Earth

地球上氧化还原化学的生命起源演化

• 批准号: 0940187
• 负责人: Paul Falkowski
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Rutgers University New Brunswick
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-07-15 至 2013-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0940187&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Prebiotic; Evolution; Redox; Chemistry; Earth

The primary goal of the research is to develop preliminary data that address a key hypothesis about the evolution of redox reactions far from thermodynamic equilibrium. In this project, the investigators will provide both experimental data and develop computational analyses to test a key hypothesis: that the abiotic reduction of N could proceed absent life via a light catalyzed oxidation of ferrous iron. If this hypothesis can be supported, it would potentially explain how iron-sulfur complexes became stably incorporated in core metabolic enzymes, such as nitrogenase, while simultaneously providing an alternative hypothesis accounting for banded iron formations at 3.8 billion years before present (Ga). This high-risk, basic research project will provide both experimental and computational evidence for understanding the evolution of core metabolic complexes that were essential to the evolution of life on Earth. BROADER IMPACTSThe project will educate and train one graduate student and one post-doctoral fellow. The post-doctoral fellow will be team mentored and supported, with a goal of preparing him/her to develop their own, independent research program. In addition, the project scientists are strongly involved in working with local K-12 school systems in New Jersey and providing information about evolution of life through public lectures and outreach using the Liberty Science Center and the NSF-sponsored Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence Mid Atlantic (COSEE MA; www.cosee-ma.net).

这项研究的主要目标是开发初步数据，解决远离热力学平衡的氧化还原反应演变的关键假设。在这个项目中，研究人员将提供实验数据并开发计算分析来测试一个关键假设：N的非生物还原可以通过亚铁的光催化氧化在没有生命的情况下进行。如果这一假设能够得到支持，它将可能解释铁-硫复合物如何稳定地结合在核心代谢酶中，如固氮酶，同时提供一个替代假设，解释在距今38亿年前（Ga）的带状铁形成。 这个高风险的基础研究项目将为理解对地球生命进化至关重要的核心代谢复合物的进化提供实验和计算证据。该项目将教育和培训一名研究生和一名博士后研究员。 博士后研究员将得到团队指导和支持，目标是让他/她为开发自己的独立研究项目做好准备。 此外，该项目的科学家们积极参与与当地K-12学校系统在新泽西的工作，并通过公共讲座和推广使用自由科学中心和NSF赞助的中心海洋科学教育卓越中大西洋（COSEE MA; www.cosee-ma.net）提供有关生命进化的信息。