Cryosphere and Psychrophiles: Insights into a Cold Origin of Life?
Psychrophiles thrive permanently in the various cold environments on Earth. Their unsuspected ability to remain metabolically active in the most extreme low temperature conditions provides insights into a possible cold step in the origin of life. More specifically, metabolically active psychrophilic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2017-06-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/7/2/25 |
| _version_ | 1817996765565026304 |
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| author | Georges Feller |
| author_facet | Georges Feller |
| author_sort | Georges Feller |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Psychrophiles thrive permanently in the various cold environments on Earth. Their unsuspected ability to remain metabolically active in the most extreme low temperature conditions provides insights into a possible cold step in the origin of life. More specifically, metabolically active psychrophilic bacteria have been observed at −20 °C in the ice eutectic phase (i.e., the liquid veins between sea ice crystals). In the context of the RNA world hypothesis, this ice eutectic phase would have provided stability to the RNA molecules and confinement of the molecules in order to react and replicate. This aspect has been convincingly tested by laboratory experiments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T02:27:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d56f6af12b474683bad5e47c94802964 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T02:27:00Z |
| publishDate | 2017-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-d56f6af12b474683bad5e47c948029642022-12-22T02:17:51ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292017-06-01722510.3390/life7020025life7020025Cryosphere and Psychrophiles: Insights into a Cold Origin of Life?Georges Feller0Center for Protein Engineering–InBioS, Institute of Chemistry B6a, University of Liège, B-4000 Liège-Sart Tilman, BelgiumPsychrophiles thrive permanently in the various cold environments on Earth. Their unsuspected ability to remain metabolically active in the most extreme low temperature conditions provides insights into a possible cold step in the origin of life. More specifically, metabolically active psychrophilic bacteria have been observed at −20 °C in the ice eutectic phase (i.e., the liquid veins between sea ice crystals). In the context of the RNA world hypothesis, this ice eutectic phase would have provided stability to the RNA molecules and confinement of the molecules in order to react and replicate. This aspect has been convincingly tested by laboratory experiments.http://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/7/2/25cryospherepsychrophilesiceeutectic phaseRNA worldribozyme |
| spellingShingle | Georges Feller Cryosphere and Psychrophiles: Insights into a Cold Origin of Life? Life cryosphere psychrophiles ice eutectic phase RNA world ribozyme |
| title | Cryosphere and Psychrophiles: Insights into a Cold Origin of Life? |
| title_full | Cryosphere and Psychrophiles: Insights into a Cold Origin of Life? |
| title_fullStr | Cryosphere and Psychrophiles: Insights into a Cold Origin of Life? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cryosphere and Psychrophiles: Insights into a Cold Origin of Life? |
| title_short | Cryosphere and Psychrophiles: Insights into a Cold Origin of Life? |
| title_sort | cryosphere and psychrophiles insights into a cold origin of life |
| topic | cryosphere psychrophiles ice eutectic phase RNA world ribozyme |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/7/2/25 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT georgesfeller cryosphereandpsychrophilesinsightsintoacoldoriginoflife |