Life (Mar 2018)

Potential Role of Inorganic Confined Environments in Prebiotic Phosphorylation

  • Avinash Vicholous Dass,
  • Maguy Jaber,
  • André Brack,
  • Frédéric Foucher,
  • Terence P. Kee,
  • Thomas Georgelin,
  • Frances Westall

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/life8010007
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 1
p. 7

Abstract

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A concise outlook on the potential role of confinement in phosphorylation and phosphate condensation pertaining to prebiotic chemistry is presented. Inorganic confinement is a relatively uncharted domain in studies concerning prebiotic chemistry, and even more so in terms of experimentation. However, molecular crowding within confined dimensions is central to the functioning of contemporary biology. There are numerous advantages to confined environments and an attempt to highlight this fact, within this article, has been undertaken, keeping in context the limitations of aqueous phase chemistry in phosphorylation and, to a certain extent, traditional approaches in prebiotic chemistry.

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