Unraveling the origins of life with mathematical chemistry
Summary
Now, using a new computational approach to mapping how simple molecules like hydrogen cyanide become more complex, hes hoping to find those first chemicals that bridged the divide and became living. If there are hundreds of different ways for hydrogen cyanide to help produce adenine, then maybe this building block for life is being created on those far off exoplanets discovered by Kepler. For the past two years, he has been working with Daniel Merkle of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Southern Denmark. By comparing that map with experimental results from Hanczycs lab, Merkle can narrow down the field and then begin to identify interesting patterns in the data. So-called "generative chemistry," where mathematicians provide a menu for experimentalists to focus their efforts, could well be one of the new tools that helps us better understand the origins of life.