Ebook: Self-Production of Supramolecular Structures: From Synthetic Structures to Models of Minimal Living Systems

How did life begin on the Earth? The units of life are cells, which can be defined as bounded systems of molecules that capture energy and nutrients from the environment -- systems that expand, reproduce, and evolve over time, often into more complex systems. This book is the proceedings of a unique meeting, sponsored by NATO and held in Maratea, Italy, that brought together for the first time an international group of investigators who share an interest in how molecules self-assemble into supramolecular structures, and how those structures may have contributed to the origin of life.
The book is written at a moderately technical level, appropriate for use by researchers and by students in upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in biochemistry and molecular biology. The overall interest of its subject matter provides an excellent introduction for students who wish to understand how the foundational knowledge of chemistry and physics can be applied to one of the most fundamental questions now facing the scientific community.
The editors are pioneers in defining what we mean by the living state, particularly the manner in which simple molecular systems can assume complex associations and functions, including the ability to reproduce. Each chapter of the book presents an up-to-date report of highly significant research. Two of the authors received medals from the National Academy of Science USA in 1994, and other research reported in the book has been featured in internationally recognized journals such Scientific American, Time, and Discover.

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xvii
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Historical Overview to the Quest of Self-Reproduction and Artificial Life....Pages 3-22
On Defining Life....Pages 23-31
A Few Precautionary Words Concerning Terminology....Pages 33-41
Front Matter....Pages 43-43
Molecular Replication: From Minimal to Complex Systems....Pages 45-64
Self-Replication and Reproduction: From Molecules to Protocells....Pages 65-73
Extrabiotic Replication and Self-Assembly....Pages 75-87
The Prebiotic Synthesis and Replication of RNA Oligomers: The Transition from Prebiotic Molecules to the RNA World....Pages 89-98
Template-Directed Synthesis of Oligomers: Kinetic vs. Thermodynamic Control....Pages 99-104
Front Matter....Pages 105-105
Chirality and the First Self-Replicating Molecules....Pages 107-114
Are Peptides Possible Support for Self-Amplification of Sequence Information ?....Pages 115-124
Front Matter....Pages 125-125
Minimonsters: Evolutionary Byproducts of In Vitro RNA Amplification....Pages 127-135
Models for the Autocatalytic Replication of RNA....Pages 137-146
RNA Species that Multiply Indefinitely with RNA Polymerase....Pages 147-156
Chemical Oscillations and Non-Linear Chemical Kinetics....Pages 157-176
Front Matter....Pages 177-177
The Chemical Implementation of Autopoiesis....Pages 179-197
Molecular Recognition in Micelles....Pages 199-207
Self-Reproducing Vesicles....Pages 209-216
Sources and Syntheses of Prebiotic Amphiphiles....Pages 217-229
Ancient Paralogous Duplications and the Search for Archean Cells....Pages 231-246
Front Matter....Pages 247-247
Self-Replication of Oligonucleotides in Reverse Micelles....Pages 249-253
Front Matter....Pages 247-247
Liposomes from Lipidonucleotides and from Lipidopeptides....Pages 255-259
Dendritic Luminescent and Redox-active Supermolecules made of Transition Metal Complexes....Pages 261-265
Layer-by-Layer Adsorption: The Solid/Liquid-Interface as a Template for the Controlled Growth of Well-Defined Nanostructures of Polyelectrolytes, Proteins, DNA and Polynucleotides....Pages 267-272
Molecular Recognition of Amino Acids by RNA....Pages 273-277
Towards Nature’s Structural Guidelines: Conclusions on the Unsolved Structures of RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases....Pages 279-283
A self-catalyzed (autopoietic) synthesis of an anionic surfactant; experimental evidence and theoretical modeling....Pages 285-290
Competition, Reciprocity and Mutation at the Molecular Level: Irradiation of a Synthetic Replicator Generates a Superior Species....Pages 291-293
Giant Vesicles....Pages 295-299
Back Matter....Pages 301-317

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xvii
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Historical Overview to the Quest of Self-Reproduction and Artificial Life....Pages 3-22
On Defining Life....Pages 23-31
A Few Precautionary Words Concerning Terminology....Pages 33-41
Front Matter....Pages 43-43
Molecular Replication: From Minimal to Complex Systems....Pages 45-64
Self-Replication and Reproduction: From Molecules to Protocells....Pages 65-73
Extrabiotic Replication and Self-Assembly....Pages 75-87
The Prebiotic Synthesis and Replication of RNA Oligomers: The Transition from Prebiotic Molecules to the RNA World....Pages 89-98
Template-Directed Synthesis of Oligomers: Kinetic vs. Thermodynamic Control....Pages 99-104
Front Matter....Pages 105-105
Chirality and the First Self-Replicating Molecules....Pages 107-114
Are Peptides Possible Support for Self-Amplification of Sequence Information ?....Pages 115-124
Front Matter....Pages 125-125
Minimonsters: Evolutionary Byproducts of In Vitro RNA Amplification....Pages 127-135
Models for the Autocatalytic Replication of RNA....Pages 137-146
RNA Species that Multiply Indefinitely with RNA Polymerase....Pages 147-156
Chemical Oscillations and Non-Linear Chemical Kinetics....Pages 157-176
Front Matter....Pages 177-177
The Chemical Implementation of Autopoiesis....Pages 179-197
Molecular Recognition in Micelles....Pages 199-207
Self-Reproducing Vesicles....Pages 209-216
Sources and Syntheses of Prebiotic Amphiphiles....Pages 217-229
Ancient Paralogous Duplications and the Search for Archean Cells....Pages 231-246
Front Matter....Pages 247-247
Self-Replication of Oligonucleotides in Reverse Micelles....Pages 249-253
Front Matter....Pages 247-247
Liposomes from Lipidonucleotides and from Lipidopeptides....Pages 255-259
Dendritic Luminescent and Redox-active Supermolecules made of Transition Metal Complexes....Pages 261-265
Layer-by-Layer Adsorption: The Solid/Liquid-Interface as a Template for the Controlled Growth of Well-Defined Nanostructures of Polyelectrolytes, Proteins, DNA and Polynucleotides....Pages 267-272
Molecular Recognition of Amino Acids by RNA....Pages 273-277
Towards Nature’s Structural Guidelines: Conclusions on the Unsolved Structures of RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases....Pages 279-283
A self-catalyzed (autopoietic) synthesis of an anionic surfactant; experimental evidence and theoretical modeling....Pages 285-290
Competition, Reciprocity and Mutation at the Molecular Level: Irradiation of a Synthetic Replicator Generates a Superior Species....Pages 291-293
Giant Vesicles....Pages 295-299
Back Matter....Pages 301-317
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