Enzyme-free replication of oligoribonucleotides
(P06)
Subject Area
Statistical Physics, Nonlinear Dynamics, Complex Systems, Soft and Fluid Matter, Biological Physics
Term
from 2018 to 2023
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 364653263
The replication of RNA sequences in the absence of enzymes or ribozymes is central to origin of life scenarios, but has not been achieved experimentally. Our main goal is to build on our first successful demonstration of copying and to progress to replication, which requires strand separation, capture of the product strand, and identifying conditions for higher yielding phosphodiester formation, so that both a copy and a replica of the original template sequence can be formed. To achieve this, we will draw on our experience with copying on immobilized templates, and with biophysical modeling of the underlying processes.
DFG Programme
CRC/Transregios
