Abstract:
 
The chemistry which led to life on Earth is tied to a particular geological setting, but which environment is the most promising candidate to investigate as we attempt to rediscover the first steps toward life? Over the past decade, we have sought to use chemistry to infer a geochemical scenario which could have acted as the cradle for life. Boundaries imposed by geology can then be used to refine and guide the prebiotic chemistry. Cycling between geochemistry and prebiotic chemistry in this way should aid the improvement and plausibility of reaction pathways and the discovery of new reactions and reagents, in effect, acting as a type of triangulation.

Speaker: Dr. Dougal Ritso, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

Host: Yasuhito Sekine, ELSI.

Date: Thu. 9 May 16:00-17:00 JST

Venue: Mishima Hall, ELSI