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Origins of Life (GRS)

Gordon Research Seminar

Turning Points in Chemistry, Geology, and Computational Approaches in Research on the Origin of Life

January 13 - 14, 2018

Chairs

and

Grand Galvez

2024 Seawall Boulevard

Galveston, Texas, United States

Venue and Travel Information

Conference Description

The Gordon Research Seminar on Origins of Life is a unique forum for graduate students, post-docs, and other scientists with comparable levels of experience and education to present and exchange new data and cutting edge ideas.

The focus of this meeting is key turning points in research on the origin of life. These turning points are providing opportunities to apply new techniques, models and discoveries from: experimental chemistry in the lab and the field, the rock record of early life on Earth and the search for life in the Solar System, and computational and analytical models of away from equilibrium systems.

Related Meeting

This GRS will be held in conjunction with the "Origins of Life" Gordon Research Conference (GRC). Those interested in attending both meetings must submit an application for the GRC in addition to an application for the GRS. Refer to the associated GRC program page for more information.

Conference Program

Saturday
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm	Arrival and Check-in
3:30 pm - 3:45 pm	Introductory Comments by GRC Site Staff / Welcome from the GRS Chair
3:45 pm - 4:30 pm	Early Evidence for Life on Earth, Mars and Life in the Universe Discussion Leader:
3:45 pm - 4:00 pm	"Earliest Signs of Life in ~3.5 Ga Hot Springs Provide Insights for Origins of Life"
4:00 pm - 4:05 pm	Discussion
4:05 pm - 4:20 pm	"The Surface UV Environment on Planets Orbiting M-Dwarfs: Need for Experimental Follow-Up and Implications for Origins-of-Life Chemistry"
4:20 pm - 4:25 pm	Discussion
4:25 pm - 4:30 pm	General Discussion: Conditions on Terrestrial Worlds for an Origin and Evolution of Life
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Prebiotic Carbon Fixation, Monomer Sources and Polymerization Mechanisms Discussion Leader:
7:30 pm - 7:45 pm	"Prebiotic Amino Acid Synthesis and Phosphorus Chemistry in Early Earth Hydrothermal Vents"
7:45 pm - 7:50 pm	Discussion
7:50 pm - 8:05 pm	"Synthesis and Characterization of Prebiotic Informational Molecules"
8:05 pm - 8:10 pm	Discussion
8:10 pm - 8:25 pm	"Spontaneous RNA-RNA Recombination to Form Structure from Randomness"
8:25 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:45 pm	"Polymerization and Assembly of Plausible Protopeptides"
8:45 pm - 8:50 pm	Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:05 pm	"Exploring Alternative Solvents"
9:05 pm - 9:10 pm	Discussion
9:10 pm - 9:30 pm	General Discussion: Conditions for Sustained, Away-from-Equilibrium Chemistry Subject to Cycles of Evolution
Sunday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 11:00 am	Compartmentalization and Polymerization Discussion Leader:
9:00 am - 9:15 am	"Environmental Factors Affecting Self-Assembly of Fatty Acid Vesicles"
9:15 am - 9:20 am	Discussion
9:20 am - 9:35 am	"Prebiotic Synthesis of Nucleotide Polymers"
9:35 am - 9:40 am	Discussion
9:40 am - 9:55 am	"Computational Predictions of the Aggregation of Amphiphiles for Early Compartmentalization"
9:55 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:15 am	"Essential RNA Functions - Polymerization, Small-Molecule Binding and Catalysis Under Membraneless Compartment Conditions"
10:15 am - 10:20 am	Discussion
10:20 am - 10:35 am	"Increase I Complexity in an RNA World: Setting the Stage for the Emergence of the 'Pregenote'"
10:35 am - 10:40 am	Discussion
10:40 am - 11:00 am	General Discussion: Mechanisms for Combinatorial Selection and Evolution of Sets of Functional Polymers
11:00 am - 12:30 pm	Poster Session Coffee will be served in the poster area from 11:00 am - 11:30 am
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm	Evolution in Life's Early Phases Discussion Leader:
1:30 pm - 1:45 pm	"Protein-RNA Mutualism"
1:45 pm - 1:50 pm	Discussion
1:50 pm - 2:05 pm	"Foldamer Hypothesis for the Growth and Sequence Differentiation of Prebiotic Polymers"
2:05 pm - 2:10 pm	Discussion
2:10 pm - 2:30 pm	General Discussion: Alternative Models for the Origin of the Translation System: RNA-First or Protein-First?
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm	Evaluation Period Fill in GRS Evaluation Forms
3:00 pm	Seminar Concludes

Contributors

International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life

Conference Links

Conference History Origins of Life

Registration Fees Additional Fee Info

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