Download Polymerization of amino acids under hydrothermal

PROGRAMMEDESTAGED’INITIATIONALARECHERCHE AU1ERCYCLE
SIRI
UniversitédeLyon/Universitéd’Ottawa
Appelàcandidature2017
Title
Polymerizationofaminoacidsunderhydrothermal
conditionsandthepotentialemergenceofLifeat
hydrothermalvents
Supervisor-s
IsabelleDANIEL
Institute
Lab
Context
Abstract/Objectives
[email protected]
Tel:+33472432735
UniversitéClaudeBernardLyon1
ObservatoiredeLyon
LaboratoiredeGéologiedeLyon
The Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon (LGL) is well
recognized for a variety of activities in Earth and planetary
sciences, including paleontology, isotope geochemistry,
mineralogyandpetrology,geophysicsandgeodynamics.
It is equipped with state-of-the-art experimental, analytical
andcomputerfacilities.
The intern will join a team of researchers who work on the
‘Early life, biosignatures and extreme environments’, using
different approaches. This team is also supported by the
LyonInstituteoftheOrigins(LIO).
The research project is part of a larger research initiative
called PREBIOM (Primitive Earth Biomolecules Interacting
with Oceanic Minerals) operated by 5 institutions in France
andintheUSA.
Livingorganismsaremadeoflargeandcomplexmolecules
amongwhichproteins,whichamino-acidbuildingblocks
alreadyexistedpriortotheformationoftheEarth.Under
ambientconditionsofpressureandtemperatureandin
presenceofwater,theydonotformpolymers.However,
polymerizationbecomesthermodynamicallyfavourable
under lowwater activity.Ithasalreadybeenobserved
experimentallyunderdryconditionsandhydrothermal
conditionswithrelativelylowyields.Here,wehypothesize
thatthemineralsthatwerepresentontheoceanfloorofthe
earlyEarthcouldhaveplayedacatalyticrole.Weproposeto
testtheroleofironsulfidesonthepolymerizationof
selectedamino-acidsunderhydrothermalconditions.Iron
sulfidesarewell-knowmineralsinhydrothermalchimneys.
Methods:Evaluationoftheadsorptionpotentialofmineral
surfacesincludestheexperimentalmeasurementsof
adsorptionisothermsinhydrothermalreactorsthatare
availableattheLGLaccordingtoaprotocolthathasalready
beenestablishedfornucleicacids.Adsorptionisotherms
usuallyalsohelptoconstraintheadsorptionmechanism,
whichcanbefurtherrefinedusingspectroscopicmethods.
Expectedresults:effectofmineralsurfacesonadsorption;
potentialcooperative/competitiveadsorptionbetween
aminoacids;adsorptionmechanismsofaminoacidsonto
mineralsurfaces
Bibliography
Location
Duration
Language
(French/English/Both)
Daniel, I., P. M. Oger, and R. Winter (2006), Origins of life and
biochemistry under high-pressure conditions, Chemical Society
Reviews,35(10),858-875.
Feuillie, C., I. Daniel, L. Michot, and U. Pedreira-Segade (2013),
Adsorption of ribonucleotides to Fe-Mg-Al rich swelling clays,
GeochimicaCosmochimicaActa,120,97-108.
Pedreira-Segade, U., Feuillie, C., Pelletier, M., Michot, L.J., Daniel, I., 2016.
Adsorption of nucleotides onto ferromagnesian phyllosilicates:
Significance for the origin of life. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta,
176,81-95.
Lyon
UniversitéClaudeBernardLyon1,campusdelaDoua
3months
FrenchorEnglish