Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel) and the Georgia Institute of Technology (USA) have studied how environmental fluctuations on ancient Earth could have guided chemical evolution, forming the molecules necessary for life. The study was published in Nature Chemistry (NatChem).

Experiment: the effect of wetness and dryness

Scientists simulated the natural conditions of early Earth by alternating cycles of wetting and drying of organic mixtures containing carboxylic acids, amines, and thiols. This process resembled the evaporation and drying of shallow ponds.

Chaos or order?

Contrary to expectations, chemical reactions were not random – molecules self-organized and evolved, following predictable patterns. It turned out that chemical evolution was structured, not chaotic, and certain molecular species acted in a coordinated manner.

Why is this important?

Understanding the origin of life – the study explains how simple chemical compounds could have led to the formation of nucleic acids and proteins.

Developing new technologies – knowledge of controlled chemical evolution can be applied to synthetic biology, nanotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

Alternative life scenarios – if life on Earth arose in this way, similar processes could have occurred on other planets.

This approach helps rethink the origin of life and opens up new possibilities for the creation of innovative materials and biotechnology.