Protocells at life's origin are often conceived as bilayer-enclosed precursors of life, whose
self-reproduction rests on the early advent of replicating catalytic biopolymers. This …

Life is that which replicates and evolves, but there is no consensus on how life emerged. We
advocate a systems protobiology view, whereby the first replicators were assemblies of …

Membrane compartmentalization is a fundamental feature of contemporary cellular life.
Given this, it is rational to assume that at some stage in the early origins of life, membrane …

The origin of life must have involved an unlikely transition from chaotic chemistry to self-
reproducing supramolecular structures. Previous quantitative analyses of self-reproducing …

Autonomy, meaning freedom from exogenous control, requires independence of both
constitution and cybernetic regulation. Here, the necessity of biological codes to achieve …

Darwinian evolution requires a mechanism for generation of diversity in a population, and
selective differences between individuals that influence reproduction. In biology, diversity is …

Copying information is vital for life's propagation. Current life forms maintain a low error rate
in replication, using complex machinery to prevent and correct errors. However, primitive life …

A recent breakthrough publication has reported complex organic molecules in the plumes
emanating from the subglacial water ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus (Postberg et al …

The pursuit of understanding the origins of life (OoL) on and off Earth and the search for
extraterrestrial life (ET) are central aspects of astrobiology. Despite the considerable efforts …

Origin of life research is one of the greatest scientific frontiers of mankind. Many hypotheses
have been proposed to explain how life began. Although different hypotheses emphasize …