Models for prebiotically-relevant self-reproducing systems
<p>Autocatalysis is central to the propagation of living systems and is widely agreed to have played a central role in the emergence of life on earth. Chemical systems which self-reproduce like living cells can offer insight into the transition from chemistry to biology. Self-reproducing micel...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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2015
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| _version_ | 1797077136271474688 |
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| author | Bissette, A |
| author2 | Fletcher, S |
| author_facet | Fletcher, S Bissette, A |
| author_sort | Bissette, A |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <p>Autocatalysis is central to the propagation of living systems and is widely agreed to have played a central role in the emergence of life on earth. Chemical systems which self-reproduce like living cells can offer insight into the transition from chemistry to biology. Self-reproducing micelles and vesicles, or physical autocatalysts, are an important class of autocatalytic chemical systems that have used to model the first living systems for several decades.</p> <p>The study of physical autocatalysis has been restricted to a limited set of reactions, and hindered by experimental difficulties precluding full characterisation. Together these limitations pose both conceptual and technical barriers to a deeper understanding of this important class of prebiotic system. This thesis addresses both limitations in turn.</p> <p>Chapter 1 introduces the concept of physical autocatalysis and argues for its importance in the field of prebiotic chemistry. A survey of chemical models of physical autocatalysis is presented and the present work is placed into context.</p> <p>Chapter 2 describes the development of the first examples of physical autocatalysis driven by irreversible bond-forming reactions. Steps towards the development of asymmetric variations and systems of self-reproducing vesicles are discussed.</p> <p>Chapter 3 describes the application of interferometric scattering microscopy to physical autocatalysis, allowing for the first time the observation of micellar self-reproduction on the single particle level.</p> <p>Chapter 4 discusses the limitations of this work and argues that the results described in Chapters 2 and 3 respectively address major conceptual and technical barriers to the study of physical autocatalysis, with recommendations for future work. </p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T00:13:32Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oxford-uuid:7a1045b6-7453-4c4d-aff8-6bd1db427b1d |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T00:13:32Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:7a1045b6-7453-4c4d-aff8-6bd1db427b1d2022-03-26T20:41:31ZModels for prebiotically-relevant self-reproducing systemsThesishttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_db06uuid:7a1045b6-7453-4c4d-aff8-6bd1db427b1dHigh resolution imagingAutocatalysisChemistry, OrganicLife--OriginEnglishORA Deposit2015Bissette, AFletcher, SWallace, M<p>Autocatalysis is central to the propagation of living systems and is widely agreed to have played a central role in the emergence of life on earth. Chemical systems which self-reproduce like living cells can offer insight into the transition from chemistry to biology. Self-reproducing micelles and vesicles, or physical autocatalysts, are an important class of autocatalytic chemical systems that have used to model the first living systems for several decades.</p> <p>The study of physical autocatalysis has been restricted to a limited set of reactions, and hindered by experimental difficulties precluding full characterisation. Together these limitations pose both conceptual and technical barriers to a deeper understanding of this important class of prebiotic system. This thesis addresses both limitations in turn.</p> <p>Chapter 1 introduces the concept of physical autocatalysis and argues for its importance in the field of prebiotic chemistry. A survey of chemical models of physical autocatalysis is presented and the present work is placed into context.</p> <p>Chapter 2 describes the development of the first examples of physical autocatalysis driven by irreversible bond-forming reactions. Steps towards the development of asymmetric variations and systems of self-reproducing vesicles are discussed.</p> <p>Chapter 3 describes the application of interferometric scattering microscopy to physical autocatalysis, allowing for the first time the observation of micellar self-reproduction on the single particle level.</p> <p>Chapter 4 discusses the limitations of this work and argues that the results described in Chapters 2 and 3 respectively address major conceptual and technical barriers to the study of physical autocatalysis, with recommendations for future work. </p> |
| spellingShingle | High resolution imaging Autocatalysis Chemistry, Organic Life--Origin Bissette, A Models for prebiotically-relevant self-reproducing systems |
| title | Models for prebiotically-relevant self-reproducing systems |
| title_full | Models for prebiotically-relevant self-reproducing systems |
| title_fullStr | Models for prebiotically-relevant self-reproducing systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Models for prebiotically-relevant self-reproducing systems |
| title_short | Models for prebiotically-relevant self-reproducing systems |
| title_sort | models for prebiotically relevant self reproducing systems |
| topic | High resolution imaging Autocatalysis Chemistry, Organic Life--Origin |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bissettea modelsforprebioticallyrelevantselfreproducingsystems |