Collaborative Research: Life Out of Water - Possibility of Evolution in Non-Aqueous Environments

地球上的生命被认为是在水相出现的。目前还不知道生命的化学过程是否只能发生在极性液体如水，或也在非极性，油性液体。该项目将研究非极性阶段的化学，以询问遗传编码和选择突变的某些方面是否可以在没有水的情况下发生。该项目将为许多学生提供有机化学、生物化学和物理化学方面的培训。水被认为是生命的必需品。该项目将研究一个反事实的命题，即地球上现存生命的某些方面，包括遗传编码和选择突变，可以在没有水的情况下重新实施。为此，将表征其中磷酸二酯键被非极性键取代的规范核酸单体和寡聚体的非极性同系物的溶解度、折叠、组装和共组装。动态共价反应作为替代碱基配对在有机介质中将进行探索，并在体外选择将在油相和油-水交替制度。该项目将涉及本科生，研究生和博士后研究人员，实验室之间的学生交流，并通过SAGANet和K-12研讨会促进指导和推广。

Life on Earth is thought to have emerged in water phase. It is not known whether the chemical processes of Life can only occur in a polar liquid like water, or also in non-polar, oily liquids. This project will examine chemistry in non-polar phases to ask whether certain aspects of genetic coding and mutation with selection can take place in the absence of water. The project will provide training in organic chemistry, biochemistry and physical chemistry to many students. Water is assumed to be a necessity for life. This project will study a counter-factual proposition that certain aspects of extant life on Earth, including genetic coding and mutation with selection, can be reimplemented in the absence of water. To that end, the solubility, folding, assembly and co-assembly of non-polar homologs of canonical nucleic acid monomers and oligomers, wherein the phosphodiester linkage is substituted with a non-polar linkage will be characterized. Dynamic-covalent reactions as alternatives to base-pairing in organic media will be explored and in vitro selection will be performed in oil phase and in oil-water alternating regimes. The project will involve undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers, with student exchange between laboratories, and facilitate mentoring and outreach through SAGANet and K-12 workshops.