Origins of life

Professor: Loren Williams, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology

 

Resum:  Around four billion years ago, prebiotic chemistry established the molecular keystones of biology, paving the path to life. Chemical and geological processes on the ancient Earth caused increases in size and functionality of organic molecules, leading ultimately to RNA, DNA, protein, polysaccharides, membrane-forming amphipaths. The roots of biology present some of the most fascinating and difficult questions in the fields of chemical and biological sciences. In this course we will cover current scientific theories pertaining to the origin of life and early evolution. An intrinsically interdisciplinary topic, this class will include material as varied as the use of atmospheric physics to model the early Earth, to the use of genetics to map evolution and the tree of life. An emphasis will be placed on how our current knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics places limits on possible scenarios for the origin of life. Reading material will be provided from the scientific literature. The course will be informal, and students are expected to participate in each class discussions. Being prepared for class will include writing and handing in at least three discussion points and/or questions on each assigned reading.

 

• Historical perspective of the search for the origin of life
• The molecules of contemporary life, and the clues they provide
• The nature of the early Earth
• The formation of the building blocks of life
• Prebiotic polymer formation
• The origin of biological information
• Compartmentalization, from membranes to the first cells
• Determining the age of life
• Energy as a constraint on life
• Evolution of the ribosome
• The origin of eukaryotes
• The search for the last common ancestor
• Other assorted topics regarding the origin of life

Bibliografia: 

1. Miller, S.L. (1953) A Production of Amino Acids under Possible Primitive Earth Conditions. Science, 117, 528-529.
2. Jacob, F. (1977) Evolution and Tinkering. Science, 196, 1161-1166.
3. Woese, C.R. and Fox, G.E. (1977) Phylogenetic Structure of the Prokaryotic Domain: The Primary Kingdoms. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 74, 5088-5090.
4. Gould, S.J. and Vrba, E.S. (1982) Exaptation—a Missing Term in the Science of Form. Paleobiology, 8, 4-15.
5. Hud, N.V., Cafferty, B.J., Krishnamurthy, R. and Williams, L.D. (2013) The Origin of RNA and “My Grandfather’s Axe”. Chem Biol, 20, 466-474.
6. Kovacs, N.A., Petrov, A.S., Lanier, K.A. and Williams, L.D. (2017) Frozen in Time: The History of Proteins. Mol Biol Evol, 34, 1252-1260.
7. Lanier, K.A., Petrov, A.S. and Williams, L.D. (2017) The Central Symbiosis of Molecular Biology: Molecules in Mutualism. J Mol Evol, 85, 8-13.
8. Lanier, K.A. and Williams, L.D. (2017) The Origin of Life: Models and Data. J Mol Evol, 84, 85-92.
9. Gould, S.J. and Lewontin, R.C. (2020) The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm: A Critique of the Adaptationist Programme. Routledge.
10. Frenkel-Pinter, M., Rajaei, V., Glass, J.B., Hud, N.V. and Williams, L.D. (2021) Water and Life: The Medium Is the Message. J Mol Evol, 1-10.

 

Aula, dates i horaris: Aula CB/004, 11 octubre – 20 novembre de 12:30 – 13:30 h

Dimecres, 11 octubre	12:30-13:30
Divendres, 13 octubre	12:30-13:30
Dilluns, 16 octubre	12:30-13:30
Dimecres, 18 octubre	12:30-13:30
Dilluns, 23 octubre	12:30-13:30
Dimecres, 25 octubre	12:30-13:30
Dilluns, 30 octubre	12:30-13:30
Dimecres, 2 novembre	12:30-13:30
Dilluns, 6 novembre	12:30-13:30
Dimecres, 8 novembre	12:30-13:30
Dilluns, 13 novembre	12:30-13:30
Dimecres, 15 novembre	12:30-13:30
Dimarts, 21 novembre: examen final o projecte	15:00-18:00

 

Nº d’alumnat UAB: 5-6 

A qui va dirigit el curs? El curs va dirigit a alumnes de 2n fins a 4t curs de tots els graus de Biociències.  

ATENCIÓ! El domini de la llengua anglesa és un requisit per apuntar-se a aquest curs. Totes les classes i avaluacions es faran en anglès. 

Inscripcions: : Si et vols apuntar a aquest curs omple el següent formulari. Les inscripcions estaran obertes des del 15 de setembre al 9 d’octubre de 2023. Els estudiants seleccionats rebran una notificació d'acceptació per mail.

Els estudiants de la UAB que completin el curs rebran un certificat d’aprofitament del mateix.