Unravelling life’s origin: five key breakthroughs from the past five years
By Seán Jordan, Associate professor, Dublin City University
Louise Gillet de Chalonge, PhD Student in Astrobiology, Dublin City University
There is still so much we don’t understand about the origin of life on Earth.
The definition of life itself is a source of debate among scientists, but most researchers agree on the fundamental ingredients of a living cell. Water, energy, and a few essential elements are the prerequisites for cells to emerge. However, the exact details of how this happens remain a mystery.
Recent research has focused on trying to recreate in the lab the chemical reactions that constitute life as we know it, in conditions plausible for early Earth (around 4 billion years ago). Experiments…
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Thursday, May 2nd 2024