Spontaneous emergence of chirality in systems of self-replicating molecules

Abstract: The process by which life emerges from lifeless molecules is still shrouded in mystery. In this talk I will show how many features of life can arise spontaneously in chemical systems where a reversible oligomerization process of relatively simple building blocks is accompanied by self-assembly. This includes the emergence of self-replicators, the emergence of catalysis in such systems that goes beyond autocatalysis and the emergence of chiral symmetry breaking.

BiologyChemistryMathematicsPhysics

Audience: researchers in the topic

( video )

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Autocatalysis in reaction networks

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Autocatalysis is a key factor in biochemical systems, often featured in models illustrating complex dynamic behaviors like bistability, hysteresis, oscillations, or chaos. While it plays a crucial role from origin-of-life and metabolic processes to population biology and economics, a comprehensive understanding is still a work in progress.

Given its interdisciplinary nature, researchers from various fields, including biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics, have contributed to unraveling the intricacies of autocatalysis. Despite this shared interest, direct interaction among these researchers is infrequent.

The purpose of this specialized seminar is to provide a common ground for interdisciplinary researchers to gather, encouraging discussions and fostering collaborations. The seminar occurs bi-monthly on Thursdays at 5 PM JST (9 AM CET), featuring two 30-minute independent talks followed by in-depth discussions with the speakers.

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