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The Relevance of Inorganic Nonlinear Chemical Reactions for the Origin of Life Studies

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Artificial Life and Evolutionary Computation (WIVACE 2018)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 900))

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Abstract

We discuss the fundamental role played by nonlinear inorganic chemical reactions to understand the minimal conditions for the origin of life. In particular, we propose a focus on the chemo-physical processes that modulate the interplay between self-organisation and self-assembly at the basis of important life-like functionalities. We present results about two proofs-of-concept that support this view. The first pertains the collective behaviours and patterns obtained from networks of autonomous inorganic oscillators confined in self-assembled structures and coupled via chemical communication. The second shows how a specific autocatalytic reaction can trigger conformational changes of self-assembled structures, giving rise to membrane self-division processes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy

    Ylenia Miele

  2. Department of Physics, MTA-BME Condensed Matter Physics Research Group, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, H-1111 Budafoki ut 8, Budapest, Hungary

    Zsófia Medveczky & István Lagzi

  3. Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy

    Marcello A. Budroni

  4. Department of Earth, Environmental and Physical Sciences - DEEP Sciences, University of Siena, Pian dei Mantellini 44, 53100, Siena, Italy

    Federico Rossi

Authors
  1. Ylenia Miele
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  2. Zsófia Medveczky
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  3. István Lagzi
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  4. Marcello A. Budroni
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  5. Federico Rossi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Federico Rossi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Parma, Parma, Italy

    Stefano Cagnoni

  2. University of Parma, Parma, Italy

    Monica Mordonini

  3. Università degli Studi eCampus, Novedrate, Italy

    Riccardo Pecori

  4. University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy

    Andrea Roli

  5. University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy

    Marco Villani

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Miele, Y., Medveczky, Z., Lagzi, I., Budroni, M.A., Rossi, F. (2019). The Relevance of Inorganic Nonlinear Chemical Reactions for the Origin of Life Studies. In: Cagnoni, S., Mordonini, M., Pecori, R., Roli, A., Villani, M. (eds) Artificial Life and Evolutionary Computation. WIVACE 2018. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 900. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21733-4_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21733-4_11

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