地球生命起源是正在探索的世界重大前沿性科学领域。本项目在申请人近期报道的绿脱石原始细胞模型并实现原始细胞间化学信号通讯的研究基础上，旨在从矿物学与生物学交叉的角度，针对生物分子形成原始细胞的演化过程，以典型粘土矿物、改性粘土矿物和环境响应型聚合物为单一或复合构筑单元，通过皮克林乳液或微流控方法，构建更为完善和复杂的单室、多室以及环境刺激响应型半透性限域结构的粘土矿物原始细胞模型。通过外部环境因素（pH、温度、光照等）调控下的可控酶催化、化学信号通讯与氧化还原电子传递的连锁反应机制、亚细胞骨架结构组装与解组装和生物分子聚合与解聚等原始细胞行为相关的生化和生理功能的仿生研究，揭示生命起源可能涉及的粘土矿物与生物分子相互作用的调控机制，探究粘土矿物在原始生命形成过程中的可能作用。通过本项目的研究，为认识原始生命的形成与演化过程提供重要参考，促进我国矿物学在生命起源领域的研究工作。

Exploring the origin of life on earth is one of world's major frontier fields of science. This applying project is based on the previously reported results of nontronite protocell model and chemical signaling communication. The objectives of applying project are construction of more complex protocells models of single, multiple and environmental stimuli-responsive micro-compartments using clay minerals, modified clay minerals and environmental stimuli-responsive polymers as single or composited building blocks by Pickering emulsion and microfluidic techniques, studying potential evolution mechanisms of clay minerals involved biomolecules assembling to protocells, from the multidisciplinary aspects of mineralogy and biology. This project tries to revealing the possible mechanisms of interactions between clay and biomolecules and the roles of clay in evolution of forming protolife through biomimetic studying protocells related behaviors of subcellular structure and biochemical functions by environmental stressing (pH, temperature, light) on enzymes catalytic reactions, cascade reactions mechanisms through chemical signaling communications and redox electronic transferring, assembly and disassembly mechanisms of subcellular structure and polymerization and depolymerization of biopolymers. This applying project will be providing scientific references for recognizing formation and evolution mechanisms of protolife and promoting studies of geoscience, especially mineralogy on the topics of the origin of life on earth in China.