New Moons Tomorrow; Tonight We Look At How Pantetheine (A Proto-Vitamin B5) May Have Formed, In Early Volcanic Pools Four Billion Years Ago -- In Just Months.

For more than a two-thirds of a century, various paleobiologists have puzzled about how the early Earth could have given rise to complex and fairly fragile proteins, the ones all life depends upon, for its building blocks. . . and ultimately, for what becomes. . . DNA. It seems that the first big leap -- to pantetheine, a very simple form of vitamin B5 -- almost (sort of!) self-assembles in only a few months, in the right sorts of geo-thermic (warmed) concentrated liquid baths / pools.

Pools like those found near even some modern active land-based volcanos. Here's the latest on the story -- from the WaPo's science pages -- do go read it all:

. . .“I think it’s very surprising that no one tried it. If you just mix them all together, they’re all mutually reactive with each other,” said Jasper Fairchild, a Ph.D. candidate at University College London who led the experiment. “You’d think you would get a mess, but you don’t. You just get pantetheine. And for me, that’s very beautiful.”

On early Earth, the reaction could have taken place in small pools or lakes of water, the authors said. Large oceans, though, would have probably diluted the concentration of the chemicals.

“This is another beautiful example of how the molecules of life, even more complex ones like coenzymes, are predisposed to form,” said chemist Joseph Moran, who was not involved in the study.

The simple recipe for such a complex-looking molecule could reimagine how life started on Earth. Historically, Powner said, scientists proposed that biological molecules appeared stepwise — like an early world of RNA that later gave rise to proteins and other chemicals. . . .

So it seems. . . life might have fairly easily "found a way" on other very old exo-planets, as well. What a fascinating time to be. . . alive. Onward, to the newly seen moons around Neptune, tomorrow. Grin -- g'night. . . .

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