The Future of Origin of Life Research: Bridging Decades-Old Divisions.
Martina Preiner, Silke Asche, Sidney Becker, Holly C Betts, Adrien Boniface, Eloi Camprubi, Kuhan Chandru, Valentina Erastova, Sriram G Garg, Nozair Khawaja, Gladys Kostyrka, Rainer Machné, Giacomo Moggioli, Kamila B Muchowska, Sinje Neukirchen, Benedikt Peter, Edith Pichlhöfer, Ádám Radványi, Daniele Rossetto, Annalena Salditt, Nicolas M Schmelling, Filipa L Sousa, Fernando D K Tria, Dániel Vörös, Joana C Xavier
Author Information
Martina Preiner: Institute of Molecular Evolution, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. ORCID
Silke Asche: School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G128QQ, UK. ORCID
Sidney Becker: Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK. ORCID
Holly C Betts: School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RL, UK.
Adrien Boniface: Environmental Microbial Genomics, Laboratoire Ampère, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 69130 Ecully, France.
Eloi Camprubi: Origins Center, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Kuhan Chandru: Space Science Center (ANGKASA), Institute of Climate Change, Level 3, Research Complex, National University of Malaysia, 43600, UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
Valentina Erastova: UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, UK.
Sriram G Garg: Institute of Molecular Evolution, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Nozair Khawaja: Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin, 12249 Berlin, Germany.
Gladys Kostyrka: Lycée Colbert, BP 50620 59208 Tourcoing Cedex, France.
Rainer Machné: Institute of Synthetic Microbiology, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. ORCID
Giacomo Moggioli: School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4DQ, UK.
Kamila B Muchowska: Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, ISIS, 8 allée Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France. ORCID
Sinje Neukirchen: Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria. ORCID
Benedikt Peter: Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
Edith Pichlhöfer: Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Ádám Radványi: Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
Daniele Rossetto: Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy. ORCID
Nicolas M Schmelling: Institute of Synthetic Microbiology, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Filipa L Sousa: Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Fernando D K Tria: Institute of Molecular Evolution, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Dániel Vörös: Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
Joana C Xavier: Institute of Molecular Evolution, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. ORCID
Research on the origin of life is highly heterogeneous. After a peculiar historical development, it still includes strongly opposed views which potentially hinder progress. In the 1st Interdisciplinary Origin of Life Meeting, early-career researchers gathered to explore the commonalities between theories and approaches, critical divergence points, and expectations for the future. We find that even though classical approaches and theories-e.g. bottom-up and top-down, RNA world vs. metabolism-first-have been prevalent in origin of life research, they are ceasing to be mutually exclusive and they can and should feed integrating approaches. Here we focus on pressing questions and recent developments that bridge the classical disciplines and approaches, and highlight expectations for future endeavours in origin of life research.
