The future of origin of life research: Bridging decades-old divisions
Publication date
2020-03
Authors
Preiner, Martina
Asche, Silke
Becker, Sidney
Betts, Holly C.
Boniface, Adrien
Camprubí, Eloi
Chandru, Kuhan
Erastova, Valentina
Garg, Sriram G.
Khawaja, Nozair
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Document Type
Article
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Abstract
Research on the origin of life is highly heterogeneous. After a peculiar historical development, it still includes strongly opposed views which potentially hinder progress. In the 1st Interdisciplinary Origin of Life Meeting, early-career researchers gathered to explore the commonalities between theories and approaches, critical divergence points, and expectations for the future. We find that even though classical approaches and theories—e.g. bottom-up and top-down, RNA world vs. metabolism-first—have been prevalent in origin of life research, they are ceasing to be mutually exclusive and they can and should feed integrating approaches. Here we focus on pressing questions and recent developments that bridge the classical disciplines and approaches, and highlight expectations for future endeavours in origin of life research.
Keywords
Abiogenesis, Bottom-up, Early life, Emergence, LUCA, Origins of life, Prebiotic chemistry, Top-down, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology, Space and Planetary Science, Palaeontology
Citation
Preiner, M, Asche, S, Becker, S, Betts, H C, Boniface, A, Camprubi, E, Chandru, K, Erastova, V, Garg, S G, Khawaja, N, Kostyrka, G, Machné, R, Moggioli, G, Muchowska, K B, Neukirchen, S, Peter, B, Pichlhöfer, E, Radványi, Á, Rossetto, D, Salditt, A, Schmelling, N M, Sousa, F L, Tria, F D K, Vörös, D & Xavier, J C 2020, 'The future of origin of life research : Bridging decades-old divisions', Life, vol. 10, no. 3, 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/life10030020