Workshop on Catalytic Mechanisms and the Emergence of Metabolic Networks in Biogenesis, May 23-25, 2012

Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe NM

Investigators

Abstract

The three-day Workshop on Catalytic Mechanisms and the Emergence of Metabolic Networks in Biogenesis to be held in May, in Arlington, VA will address one of the longstanding problems in understanding the origin of life. The problem is that contemporary biocatalysts are macromolecules made of monomers which require biocatalysts for their synthesis. The past twenty years have pointed to the way out of this difficulty; catalysis is not confined to macromolecules but may be found in relatively small organic molecules as well as in complexes of transition metals coordinately bonded to ligands that may also be small organic molecules. The relative sparseness of metabolomes, especially for prokaryotes, suggests the necessity of autocatalytic networks that act as global attractors in the networks of small molecules. In order to develop a theory of metabolic networks that gave rise to the biosphere it is necessary to understand catalytic mechanisms and their role in generating metabolic networks. The background for these studies is the work of material scientists, industrial chemists, organic chemists, enzymologists, and quantum physical chemists. These are mature disciplines that often have little to do with each other and even less to do with biologists interested in the emergence of the biosphere. Since it is not yet clear as to which aspects of pre-macromolecular catalysis are of most significance, it is important to have experts in all of these to get a full view of the problem. The meeting will involve experts in these disciplines to address the questions related to autocatalysis during the emergence of life.