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).

该研究的主要目的是开发初步数据，该数据涉及远离热力学平衡的氧化还原反应演变的关键假设。在该项目中，研究人员将提供实验数据并开发计算分析以检验一个关键的假设：n的非生物降低可以通过光催化的亚铁铁的氧化而没有生命。如果可以支持该假设，它将有可能解释铁硫复合物如何稳定地掺入核代谢酶（例如氮酶）中，同时在（GA）之前的38亿年（GA）提供了一个替代的假设。 这个高风险的基础研究项目将提供实验和计算证据，以了解对地球生命进化至关重要的核心代谢复合物的演变。更广泛的影响该项目将教育并培训一名研究生和一名博士后研究员。 博士后研究员将受到团队的指导和支持，目的是准备自己制定自己的独立研究计划。 此外，该项目科学家强烈参与与新泽西州的本地K-12学校系统合作，并通过公开讲座提供有关生活进化的信息，并使用自由科学中心和NSF赞助的海洋科学教育中心卓越大西洋中大西洋（Cosee MA; www.cosee-ma.net）提供了信息。