Center for Chemical Innovation: Center for Chemical Evolution

在NSF化学部化学创新中心（CCI）计划和NASA天体生物学计划的共同支持下，化学进化中心（CCE）将协调和支持了解生物聚合物化学起源所需的高度合作研究，这可能代表了对生命化学起源的理解的根本性进步。特别是，CCE试图揭示原始生物聚合物，即最早的生命聚合物，如何自发形成并启动功能进化。该中心的工作分为四个研究主题：1）原核酸，2）原多肽，3）原多糖，4）积木和替代环境。CCE旨在通过识别形成具有进化功能的聚合物所需的分子和过程来影响社会。朝着这一目标不断取得进展将为新型聚合物（例如智能材料和治疗剂）的设计、开发和表征提供新方法，这可能会产生经济影响并改善人类状况。加强参与该中心的学生和青年科学家的教育和职业发展，并对公众对化学的看法产生积极影响，是通过CCE教育工作实现的额外广泛影响。特别是，CCE将开发一个完全整合的研究和教育计划，其中包括专业发展研讨会系列，年度研讨会和高度互动的指导文化，促进学生和博士后发展成为独立的，跨学科的创新者和教育工作者。CCE还确定了独特的教育和公共场所，与儿童和年轻人合作，教育和激发他们对化学的兴趣。CCE将继续与艺术家合作，制作与化学相关的内容，用于视觉展示，短片动画，在国家公共广播电台播出的广播节目，以及互动表演，以吸引所有年龄和教育水平的观众。CCE还计划通过与HBCUs合作，在全国多样性会议上赞助研究研讨会，如NOBCChE和SACNAS，并与学生组织合作全天STEM活动，继续为代表性不足的少数群体招募人员。CCE的统一科学目标是证明小分子，在模型益生元环境中，可以自组装成类似于现存生物聚合物的聚合物并经历功能进化。该中心的四个研究主题为：1）原核酸-研究“前向相容”的原核酸，其序列信息可通过逐渐进化而保持并转移到当代RNA; 2）原多肽-探索聚酯在生物前肽合成过程中作为多肽前体的可能性; 3）原多糖-研究在合理的生物前条件下多糖的合成;和4）构建块和替代环境-识别合理的益生元反应、矿物源、矿物催化剂和用于其它原始生物聚合物合成的替代环境。 这些研究主题的进展预计将导致发现具有独特性质的分子、反应和聚合物-这些性质可以在有机、聚合物、超分子和仿生化学领域找到各种创新应用。定义一个模型的内容益生元化学库存也导致新的工具和方法的发展，用于处理复杂的化学混合物，很容易转移到许多其他领域的纯化学和应用化学。 最终理解生物聚合物的起源可能代表着我们对生命化学起源的理解的根本性进步。

With joint support from the Center for Chemical Innovation (CCI) Program in the Division of Chemistry at NSF and the Astrobiology Program at NASA, the Center for Chemical Evolution (CCE) will coordinate and support the highly collaborative research necessary to understand the chemical origins of biopolymers, which may represent a fundamental advance in the understanding of the chemical origins of life. In particular, CCE seeks to uncover how proto-biopolymers, i.e. the earliest polymers of life, could have spontaneously formed and initiated functional evolution. The work of the Center is divided into four research themes: 1) Proto-Nucleic Acids, 2) Proto-Polypeptides, 3) Proto-Polysaccharides, 4) Building Blocks and Alternative Environments. CCE aims to impact society by identifying the molecules and processes necessary for the formation of polymers with the ability to evolve function. Continued progress towards this goal will provide new methods for the design, development, and characterization of novel polymers, such as smart materials and therapeutic agents, which could result in economic impacts and improvement of the human condition. Enhancing the education and career development of students and young scientists involved with the Center and making positive impacts on the public's perception of chemistry are additional broad impacts to be realized through CCE educational efforts. In particular, CCE will develop a fully integrated research and educational program which includes a professional development seminar series, an annual symposium, and a highly interactive mentoring culture that fosters the development of students and postdocs into independent, interdisciplinary innovators and educators. CCE has also identified unique educational and public venues to work with children and young people to educate and excite them about chemistry. CCE will continue to work with artists to produce chemistry-relevant content for visual displays, short video animations, radio pieces to be aired on national public radio, and interactive performances to engage audiences of all ages and educational levels. CCE also plans to continue its recruiting efforts to underrepresented minority groups by collaborating with HBCUs, sponsoring research symposia at national diversity conferences, such as NOBCChE and SACNAS, and partnering with student organizations on full-day STEM events.The unifying scientific objective of CCE is to demonstrate that small molecules, within a model prebiotic environment, can self-assemble into polymers resembling extant biopolymers and undergo functional evolution. The four research themes of the CCE are: 1) Proto-nucleic acids - studying proto-nucleic acids that are "forward compatible" where sequence information can be maintained and transferred through gradual evolution to contemporary RNA; 2) Proto-polypeptides - exploring polyesters as possible precursors of polypeptides during prebiotic peptide synthesis; 3) Proto-polysaccharides - studying polysaccharide synthesis under plausible prebiotic conditions; and 4) Building Blocks and Alternative Environments - identifying plausible prebiotic reactions, mineral sources, mineral catalysts, and alternative milieus for other proto-biopolymer synthesis. Progress on these research themes is expected to lead to the discovery of molecules, reactions, and polymers with unique properties - properties that could find a variety of innovative applications in the areas of organic, polymer, supramolecular, and biomimetic chemistry. Defining the contents of a model prebiotic chemical inventory also leads to the development of new tools and approaches for dealing with complex chemical mixtures that are readily transferable to many other areas of pure and applied chemistry. Ultimately understanding the origin of biopolymers could represent a fundamental advance in our understanding of the chemical origins of life.