Enhanced phosphate cycling in 3 phase-systems – Heat fluxes trigger the liberation and back-precipitation of phosphate, boosting prebiotic chemistry (P03)

• Subject Area: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
• Term: from 2018 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 364653263

Whether in the backbone of oligonucleotides, in metabolites such as ATP or phospholipids, life as we know it would be inconceivable without phosphorus. Because of this prominent role, phosphorus must have played an essential role also 4 billion years ago in the emergence of life. Phosphorus, although geologically widespread, is poorly soluble and therefore not available for prebiotic chemistry. In this project, we will investigate phosphorus leaching of common minerals such as Apatite or phosphorous-rich glasses over a wide parameter range of temperature, pH and pressure and explore the heat flux-driven separation of phosphate as well as phosphorylation in multiphase thermal non-equilibrium systems.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 235: Emergence of Life: exploring mechanisms with cross-disciplinary experiments
• Applicant Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Wolfgang Eisenreich, until 6/2022; Dr. Christof Friedrich Bernhard Mast, since 7/2022; Professorin Dr. Bettina Scheu