Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Chirality, or handedness, is a fundamental physical characteristic, which spans the length scales ranging from elementary particles to the chiral asymmetry of spiral galaxies. The way in which chirality in chemistry, or molecular handedness, may have emerged in a primitive terrestrial environment, and how it can be triggered, amplified, and transferred, are deeply challenging problems rooted in both fundamental scientific interests and the technological potentials for science and society. Chirality constitutes a unifying feature of the living world and is a prime driving force for molecular selection and genetic evolution in biology. In this book, we offer a selection of five distinct approaches to this problem by leading experts in the field. The selected topics range from protein chirality and its relevance to protein ageing, protein aggregation and neurodegeneration, entropy production associated with chiral symmetry breaking in closed systems, chiral oscillations in polymerization models involving higher-order oligomers, the mirror symmetry breaking in liquids and its implications for the development of homochirality in abiogenesis, the role of chirality in the chemical sciences, and some philosophical implications of chirality.

biochirality --- post-translational modifications --- protein folding --- protein aggregation --- spontaneous chemical reactions --- neurodegeneration --- non-equilibrium phase transitions --- chiral symmetry breaking --- entropy production --- closed systems --- nonequilibrium --- dissipative structures --- mirror symmetry breaking --- biological chirality --- liquid crystals --- proto-RNA --- networks --- compartmentalization --- chiral liquids --- cubic phases --- prebiotic chemistry --- chirality amplification --- helical self-assembly --- chiral oscillations --- spontaneous mirror symmetry breaking --- origin of homochirality --- absolute asymmetric synthesis --- biological homochirality --- chemical abiotic evolution --- chirality --- origin of life --- dissipative reaction systems

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

What is life? How, where, and when did life arise? These questions have remained most fascinating over the last hundred years. Systems chemistry is the way to go to better understand this problem and to try and answer the unsolved question regarding the origin of Life. Self-organization, thanks to the role of lipid boundaries, made possible the rise of protocells. The role of these boundaries is to separate and co-locate micro-environments, and make them spatially distinct; to protect and keep them at defined concentrations; and to enable a multitude of often competing and interfering biochemical reactions to occur simultaneously. The aim of this Special Issue is to summarize the latest discoveries in the field of the prebiotic chemistry of biomolecules, self-organization, protocells and the origin of life. In recent years, thousands of excellent reviews and articles have appeared in the literature and some breakthroughs have already been achieved. However, a great deal of work remains to be carried out. Beyond the borders of the traditional domains of scientific activity, the multidisciplinary character of the present Special Issue leaves space for anyone to creatively contribute to any aspect of these and related relevant topics. We hope that the presented works will be stimulating for a new generation of scientists that are taking their first steps in this fascinating field.

Research & information: general --- Biology, life sciences --- origin of life --- peptidyl-transferase center --- pseudo-symmetry --- proto-ribosome --- SymR --- emergence of biological systems --- RNA ligation --- dimerization --- standard genetic codes --- codon assignment --- tRNA --- aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase classes --- thiophene --- acetylene --- transition metal sulfides --- hydrothermal conditions --- early metabolism --- origin-of-life --- prebiotic chemistry --- protein–monosaccharide recognition --- protein–monosaccharide interactions --- FRET analysis --- glycocodon theory --- glucose oxidase --- Mars --- prebiotic chemical evolution --- early Earth --- astrobiology --- CHNOPS --- transition elements --- sample return --- exoplanets --- complex organic molecules --- astrochemistry --- interstellar medium --- molecular ices --- solid state --- protoplanetary disks --- star forming regions --- comets --- vesicles --- division --- urea–urease enzymatic reaction --- bending modulus --- budding --- ADE theory --- dynamic kinetic stability --- cognition --- chemical evolution --- systems chemistry --- metabolism --- network expansion simulation --- temperature --- thermodynamics --- protocell --- compartment --- solid interface --- lipid --- polymerization --- cyclic nucleotides --- autocatalytic set --- osmotic pressure --- cell division --- lipid membrane --- bistable reaction system --- template-directed RNA synthesis --- origin of genetic code --- time order of canonical amino acids --- proto-metabolism --- chirogenesis --- quartz --- amino acids --- radiation damage --- GC×GC-TOFMS --- origins of life --- prebiotic membranes --- protoamphiphiles --- metal ions --- hot springs --- N-acyl amino acid --- analogue conditions --- viroids --- ribozyviruses --- primordial replicators --- ribozymes --- bilayer structure --- molecular dynamics --- aggregation process --- selection --- evolution --- Fenton chemistry --- reduced phosphorus --- pyrophosphate --- chemical complexity --- minerals --- schreibersite --- olivine --- serpentinite --- ulexite --- n/a --- protein-monosaccharide recognition --- protein-monosaccharide interactions --- urea-urease enzymatic reaction

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

What is life? How, where, and when did life arise? These questions have remained most fascinating over the last hundred years. Systems chemistry is the way to go to better understand this problem and to try and answer the unsolved question regarding the origin of Life. Self-organization, thanks to the role of lipid boundaries, made possible the rise of protocells. The role of these boundaries is to separate and co-locate micro-environments, and make them spatially distinct; to protect and keep them at defined concentrations; and to enable a multitude of often competing and interfering biochemical reactions to occur simultaneously. The aim of this Special Issue is to summarize the latest discoveries in the field of the prebiotic chemistry of biomolecules, self-organization, protocells and the origin of life. In recent years, thousands of excellent reviews and articles have appeared in the literature and some breakthroughs have already been achieved. However, a great deal of work remains to be carried out. Beyond the borders of the traditional domains of scientific activity, the multidisciplinary character of the present Special Issue leaves space for anyone to creatively contribute to any aspect of these and related relevant topics. We hope that the presented works will be stimulating for a new generation of scientists that are taking their first steps in this fascinating field.

origin of life --- peptidyl-transferase center --- pseudo-symmetry --- proto-ribosome --- SymR --- emergence of biological systems --- RNA ligation --- dimerization --- standard genetic codes --- codon assignment --- tRNA --- aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase classes --- thiophene --- acetylene --- transition metal sulfides --- hydrothermal conditions --- early metabolism --- origin-of-life --- prebiotic chemistry --- protein–monosaccharide recognition --- protein–monosaccharide interactions --- FRET analysis --- glycocodon theory --- glucose oxidase --- Mars --- prebiotic chemical evolution --- early Earth --- astrobiology --- CHNOPS --- transition elements --- sample return --- exoplanets --- complex organic molecules --- astrochemistry --- interstellar medium --- molecular ices --- solid state --- protoplanetary disks --- star forming regions --- comets --- vesicles --- division --- urea–urease enzymatic reaction --- bending modulus --- budding --- ADE theory --- dynamic kinetic stability --- cognition --- chemical evolution --- systems chemistry --- metabolism --- network expansion simulation --- temperature --- thermodynamics --- protocell --- compartment --- solid interface --- lipid --- polymerization --- cyclic nucleotides --- autocatalytic set --- osmotic pressure --- cell division --- lipid membrane --- bistable reaction system --- template-directed RNA synthesis --- origin of genetic code --- time order of canonical amino acids --- proto-metabolism --- chirogenesis --- quartz --- amino acids --- radiation damage --- GC×GC-TOFMS --- origins of life --- prebiotic membranes --- protoamphiphiles --- metal ions --- hot springs --- N-acyl amino acid --- analogue conditions --- viroids --- ribozyviruses --- primordial replicators --- ribozymes --- bilayer structure --- molecular dynamics --- aggregation process --- selection --- evolution --- Fenton chemistry --- reduced phosphorus --- pyrophosphate --- chemical complexity --- minerals --- schreibersite --- olivine --- serpentinite --- ulexite --- n/a --- protein-monosaccharide recognition --- protein-monosaccharide interactions --- urea-urease enzymatic reaction