Molecular Diversity Required for the Formation of Autocatalytic Sets.
Publication Title
Life (Basel)
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2019
Keywords
autocatalytic sets; origin of life; random graphs; systems chemistry
Abstract
Systems chemistry deals with the design and study of complex chemical systems. However, such systems are often difficult to investigate experimentally. We provide an example of how theoretical and simulation-based studies can provide useful insights into the properties and dynamics of complex chemical systems, in particular of autocatalytic sets. We investigate the issue of the required molecular diversity for autocatalytic sets to exist in random polymer libraries. Given a fixed probability that an arbitrary polymer catalyzes the formation of other polymers, we calculate this required molecular diversity theoretically for two particular models of chemical reaction systems, and then verify these calculations by computer simulations. We also argue that these results could be relevant to an origin of life scenario proposed recently by Damer and Deamer.
Specialty/Research Institute
Institute for Systems Biology
