CCI: Center for Chemical Evolution

CCI：化学进化中心

• 批准号: 1004570
• 负责人: Nicholas Hud
• 金额: $ 2000万
• 依托单位: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Cooperative Agreement
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-10-01 至 2016-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1004570&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CCI; Center; Chemical; Evolution

The Center for Chemical Evolution (CCE) coordinates and supports the highly collaborative research necessary to understand the chemistry required for the spontaneous emergence of functional polymers, such as proteins and DNA, from complex chemical mixtures. An interdisciplinary team of researchers will tackle this grand challenge using a three-pronged strategy: 1) Construct a working model chemical inventory of potentially prebiotic molecules and understand their reactivity; 2) Explore alternative reactions and solvent conditions that could have facilitated polymerization in the prebiotic world; and 3) Synthesize and characterize putative proto-biopolymers as a means to discover which building blocks and polymer architectures might have preceded those found in life today. When combined in one Center, synergy across these themes will accelerate our understanding of the emergent properties of matter -- properties that underpin chemical evolution and provide the foundations for the origins of biology. Understanding the spontaneous assembly of functional polymers will lead to new structures, reactions, and assemblies with applications that span the fields of organic, polymer, supramolecular, and biomimetic chemistry; new analytical tools and approaches for dealing with complex chemical mixtures; and an insight into matter and reactivity that will impact areas of both pure and applied chemistry.Chemical evolution experiments have a broad and unique ability to excite students and the general public about the power of chemistry to see into our distant past. The Center will educate a diverse group of students at all levels. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will have access to professional development opportunities in teaching and public communication. The Center will increase participation of underrepresented groups by partnering with specific undergraduate institutions and by providing access to Center research through both direct and videoconference interactions. Center researchers will collaborate with high school teachers and faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions to develop and distribute chemical evolution modules for incorporation into introductory and organic chemistry courses. The Center sees the misconceptions of chemical and biological evolution as a critical public outreach opportunity, and it has identified unique educational and public venues to promote science literacy and enthusiasm for pursuing careers in the chemical sciences. Center researchers and students will make major impacts on the public's perception of chemistry by working with artists who are creating new science-inspired performing and visual works of art, promoting publicly accessible informal talks in the form of "Science Cafés," and contributing to national websites and education centers on chemical and evolution education. The development of new analytical tools, environmentally benign solvent systems, and biomimetic emergent polymers will be widely disseminated in partnership with the private sector. The Center for Chemical Evolution is jointly funded by the NSF Centers for Chemical Innovation Program and the NASA Astrobiology Program.

化学进化中心（CCE）协调和支持必要的高度合作研究，以了解功能聚合物（如蛋白质和DNA）从复杂的化学混合物中自发出现所需的化学。一个跨学科的研究团队将使用三管齐下的策略来应对这一重大挑战：1）构建潜在的益生元分子的工作模型化学清单，并了解它们的反应性; 2）探索可能促进益生元世界聚合的替代反应和溶剂条件;和3）合成和表征推定的原始生物聚合物，作为发现哪些构建块和聚合物结构可能先于当今生活中发现的构建块和聚合物结构的一种手段。当在一个中心结合起来，这些主题的协同作用将加速我们对物质的新兴特性的理解-支持化学进化并为生物学起源提供基础的特性。了解功能聚合物的自发组装将导致新的结构，反应和组装，其应用范围涵盖有机，聚合物，超分子和仿生化学领域;处理复杂化学混合物的新分析工具和方法;以及对物质和反应性的深入了解，将影响纯化学和应用化学领域。化学进化实验具有广泛而独特的能力，激发学生和公众对化学的力量看到我们遥远的过去。 该中心将教育不同层次的学生群体。研究生和博士后研究员将获得教学和公共传播方面的专业发展机会。 该中心将通过与特定的本科院校合作，并通过直接和视频会议互动提供对中心研究的访问，增加代表性不足的群体的参与。中心的研究人员将与高中教师和主要是本科院校的教师合作，开发和分发化学进化模块，以纳入入门和有机化学课程。该中心将化学和生物进化的误解视为一个关键的公共宣传机会，并确定了独特的教育和公共场所，以促进科学素养和追求化学科学事业的热情。中心的研究人员和学生将通过与艺术家合作，对公众对化学的看法产生重大影响，这些艺术家正在创造新的科学灵感表演和视觉艺术作品，以“科学咖啡馆”的形式促进公众可访问的非正式会谈，并为国家网站和教育中心提供化学和进化教育。将与私营部门合作，广泛传播新的分析工具、环境友好型溶剂系统和仿生新兴聚合物的开发。化学进化中心由NSF化学创新计划中心和NASA天体生物学计划共同资助。