FIBR: The Emergence of Life: From Geochemistry to the Genetic Code

Harold Morowitz，圣达菲研究所和乔治梅森大学Shelley Copley，科罗拉多大学博尔德分校Nigel Goldenfeld，伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校Eric Smith，圣达菲研究所Carl Woese，伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校卡洛斯Castillo-Chavez，亚利桑那州立大学乔治科迪，卡内基研究所Kenneth DeJong，乔治梅森大学Zaida Luthey-Schulten，伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校Vijaya Sarathy Srinivasan，乔治梅森大学詹姆斯特雷菲尔，乔治梅森大学从非生物地球化学中出现生命仍然是生物学的中心问题之一，随着太阳系外行星的发现，火星和土卫六上的远程登陆车辆能够探测到外星生命的证据，以及对极端或偏远地球环境的探索，这一问题变得更加突出。尽管构成地球生命的关键方面的各种起源的复杂现象，特别是代谢和复制机制，都很遥远，但许多遗迹在现代生物的核心途径和特征中幸存下来。这个跨学科的项目将综合这些独立但趋同的线索，从原始地球化学，生物化学，分子生物学，热力学，进化生物学和基因组动力学的早期生命，提供一个连贯的帐户的进化代谢和现代遗传密码的发展。这项研究将对地球上早期生命的可能环境、方式和核心代谢产生强有力的限制。 这种跨学科方法的更广泛影响将成为预测外星生命性质的工作模板，并从代谢活动或其他环境影响中进行检测。该项目将通过一个作家驻场计划、贸易出版物、博物馆展览、一个活跃的网站和K-12外联活动向广大受众传播。从研究活动中散发出来的项目涉及亚利桑那州立大学数学和理论生物学研究所的才华横溢的少数民族学生，参与机构的NSF REU计划以及SFI复杂系统暑期学校。这项工作的结果将被纳入核心课程和研讨会，强调现代研究中多学科，面向生物复杂性的合作的中心地位，从而将课程与参与机会相结合。该项目将包括一个专题讨论会，旨在总结其成果的K-12教育工作者，并提供现代生物起源及其对天体生物学的更广泛的影响的概述。

Harold Morowitz, Santa Fe Institute and George Mason UniversityShelley Copley, University of Colorado at BoulderNigel Goldenfeld, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignEric Smith, Santa Fe InstituteCarl Woese, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Carlos Castillo-Chavez, Arizona State UniversityGeorge Cody, Carnegie InstituteKenneth DeJong, George Mason UniversityZaida Luthey-Schulten, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignVijaya Sarathy Srinivasan, George Mason UniversityJames Trefil, George Mason UniversityThe emergence of life from abiotic geochemistry remains one of the central problems of biology, all the more salient with the discovery of extra-solar planets, the success of remote landing vehicles on Mars and Titan capable of detecting evidence for extra-terrestrial life, and the exploration of extreme or remote terrestrial environments. Despite the remoteness of the complex phenomena that constituted the various origins of the key aspects of terrestrial life, particularly the metabolic and replication mechanisms, numerous relics survive in the core pathways and features of modern organisms. This interdisciplinary project will synthesize these separate but convergent clues to early life from primordial geochemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, thermodynamics, evolutionary biology and the dynamics of genomes, to provide a coherent account of the evolution of metabolism and the development of the modern genetic code. This research will place strong constraints on the likely environment, manner and core metabolism of early life on Earth. The broader impacts of this interdisciplinary approach will be a working template for efforts to predict the nature of extra-terrestrial life and its detection from metabolic activity or other environmental effects. This project will be disseminated to a broad audience through a writer-in-residence program, trade publications, museum exhibits, an active web site, and K-12 outreach. Emanating from the research activities are projects involving highly-talented under-represented minority students from the Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Institute of Arizona State University, the NSF REU programs at the participating institutions, and the SFI Complex Systems Summer Schools. Results of this work will be integrated into core curricula and seminars emphasizing the centrality of multidisciplinary, biocomplexity-oriented collaboration in modern research, thus combining curriculum with opportunities for participation. The project will include a symposium intended to summarize its outcome to K-12 educators, and provide an overview of modern biogenesis and its broader implications for astrobiology.