Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 149-169 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue number | 2-3 |
| Early online date | 27 Oct 2015 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2016 |
Abstract
In a famous experiment Stanley Miller showed that a large number of organic substances can emerge from sparking a mixture of methane, ammonia and hydrogen in the presence of water (Miller, Science 117:528–529, 1953). Among these substances Miller identified different amino acids, and he concluded that prebiotic events may well have produced many of Life’s molecular building blocks. There have been many variants of the original experiment since, including different gas mixtures (Miller, J Am Chem Soc 77:2351–2361, 1955; Oró Nature 197:862–867, 1963; Schlesinger and Miller, J Mol Evol 19:376–382, 1983; Miyakawa et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci 99:14,628–14,631, 2002). Recently some of Miller’s remaining original samples were analyzed with modern equipment (Johnson et al. Science 322:404–404, 2008; Parker et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci 108:5526–5531, 2011) and a total of 23 racemic amino acids were identified. To give an overview of the chemical variety of a possible prebiotic broth, here we analyze a “Miller type” experiment using state of the art mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. We identify substances of a wide range of saturation, which can be hydrophilic, hydrophobic or amphiphilic in nature. Often the molecules contain heteroatoms, with amines and amides being prominent classes of molecule. In some samples we detect ethylene glycol based polymers. Their formation in water requires the presence of a catalyst. Contrary to expectations, we cannot identify any preferred reaction product. The capacity to spontaneously produce this extremely high degree of molecular variety in a very simple experiment is a remarkable feature of organic chemistry and possibly prerequisite for Life to emerge. It remains a future task to uncover how dedicated, organized chemical reaction pathways may have arisen from this degree of complexity.
Keywords
- Complex chemical mixture, Mass spectrometry, Miller-Urey experiment, NMR, Origin to life
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
- Space and Planetary Science
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In: Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres, Vol. 46, No. 2-3, 01.06.2016, p. 149-169.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Chemical Analysis of a “Miller-Type” Complex Prebiotic Broth
T2 - Part I: Chemical Diversity, Oxygen and Nitrogen Based Polymers
AU - Wollrab, Eva
AU - Scherer, Sabrina
AU - Aubriet, Frédéric
AU - Carré, Vincent
AU - Carlomagno, Teresa
AU - Codutti, Luca
AU - Ott, Albrecht
PY - 2016/6/1
Y1 - 2016/6/1
N2 - In a famous experiment Stanley Miller showed that a large number of organic substances can emerge from sparking a mixture of methane, ammonia and hydrogen in the presence of water (Miller, Science 117:528–529, 1953). Among these substances Miller identified different amino acids, and he concluded that prebiotic events may well have produced many of Life’s molecular building blocks. There have been many variants of the original experiment since, including different gas mixtures (Miller, J Am Chem Soc 77:2351–2361, 1955; Oró Nature 197:862–867, 1963; Schlesinger and Miller, J Mol Evol 19:376–382, 1983; Miyakawa et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci 99:14,628–14,631, 2002). Recently some of Miller’s remaining original samples were analyzed with modern equipment (Johnson et al. Science 322:404–404, 2008; Parker et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci 108:5526–5531, 2011) and a total of 23 racemic amino acids were identified. To give an overview of the chemical variety of a possible prebiotic broth, here we analyze a “Miller type” experiment using state of the art mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. We identify substances of a wide range of saturation, which can be hydrophilic, hydrophobic or amphiphilic in nature. Often the molecules contain heteroatoms, with amines and amides being prominent classes of molecule. In some samples we detect ethylene glycol based polymers. Their formation in water requires the presence of a catalyst. Contrary to expectations, we cannot identify any preferred reaction product. The capacity to spontaneously produce this extremely high degree of molecular variety in a very simple experiment is a remarkable feature of organic chemistry and possibly prerequisite for Life to emerge. It remains a future task to uncover how dedicated, organized chemical reaction pathways may have arisen from this degree of complexity.
AB - In a famous experiment Stanley Miller showed that a large number of organic substances can emerge from sparking a mixture of methane, ammonia and hydrogen in the presence of water (Miller, Science 117:528–529, 1953). Among these substances Miller identified different amino acids, and he concluded that prebiotic events may well have produced many of Life’s molecular building blocks. There have been many variants of the original experiment since, including different gas mixtures (Miller, J Am Chem Soc 77:2351–2361, 1955; Oró Nature 197:862–867, 1963; Schlesinger and Miller, J Mol Evol 19:376–382, 1983; Miyakawa et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci 99:14,628–14,631, 2002). Recently some of Miller’s remaining original samples were analyzed with modern equipment (Johnson et al. Science 322:404–404, 2008; Parker et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci 108:5526–5531, 2011) and a total of 23 racemic amino acids were identified. To give an overview of the chemical variety of a possible prebiotic broth, here we analyze a “Miller type” experiment using state of the art mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. We identify substances of a wide range of saturation, which can be hydrophilic, hydrophobic or amphiphilic in nature. Often the molecules contain heteroatoms, with amines and amides being prominent classes of molecule. In some samples we detect ethylene glycol based polymers. Their formation in water requires the presence of a catalyst. Contrary to expectations, we cannot identify any preferred reaction product. The capacity to spontaneously produce this extremely high degree of molecular variety in a very simple experiment is a remarkable feature of organic chemistry and possibly prerequisite for Life to emerge. It remains a future task to uncover how dedicated, organized chemical reaction pathways may have arisen from this degree of complexity.
KW - Complex chemical mixture
KW - Mass spectrometry
KW - Miller-Urey experiment
KW - NMR
KW - Origin to life
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84959567533&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11084-015-9468-8
DO - 10.1007/s11084-015-9468-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 26508401
AN - SCOPUS:84959567533
VL - 46
SP - 149
EP - 169
JO - Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres
JF - Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres
SN - 0169-6149
IS - 2-3
ER -