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Noam Lahav
September 1998
Biogenesis is a detailed, critical discussion of the modern scientific study of the origin of life, its history and biological, geological, and cosmological background, the rationale of its main assumptions and experimental strategies, and its plethora of theories, model, scenarios, and controversies
David Whitehouse
Scientists have duplicated the harsh environment of cold interstellar space and created what they are calling "primitive cells."
They say the molecular structures they have synthesised mimic the membranes found in all living things.
They could have been important in protecting self-replicating molecules from the outside world allowing their evolution into primitive life.
Some of them have strange internal structures
These molecules could have been delivered to the young Earth and "kick-started" life on our planet.
Using common chemicals, researchers from Nasa's Ames Astrochemistry Laboratory and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have created so-called "proto"-cells.
"This process happens all the time in the dense molecular clouds of space," Dr Allamandola said.
"The formation of these biologically interesting compounds by irradiating simple interstellar ices shows that some of the organics falling to Earth in meteorites and interplanetary dust might have been born in the coldest regions of interstellar space."
July 1, 1999
Planets that could harbour life may be roaming the voids of interstellar space, according to a report in Nature magazine. Planetary scientist David Stevenson thinks it is possible that rocky masses the size of the Earth are ejected from solar systems as they form - kicked out by the gravitational effects of much larger planets.
However, even without the energy supplied by sunlight, he believes these nomadic worlds could still maintain the conditions necessary for life.
Mr Stevenson, of the California Institute of Technology, says the ejected planets would possibly carry with them an atmosphere of hydrogen. This could act to trap any internal heat. It may even exert enough pressure to maintain oceans of liquid water on the planet's
surface.
With ammonia and methane gases in the atmosphere, and volcanoes bubbling heat and molten rock to the surface, these lonely planets would look remarkably similar to the Earth when life began here some four billion years ago.
The NASA Astrobiology Institute represents a partnership between NASA and a number of academic or other research organizations to promote, conduct, and lead integrated multidisciplinary astrobiology research and train young researchers. The Institute will showcase modern communications and information technology to bind together institutions and research teams in geographically separated locales to enable an unprecedented degree of remote interaction in pursuit of astrobiology research.
Astrobiology is the study of life in the universe. This cross-disciplinary field addresses many fundamental questions concerning the origin, distribution, and future of life in the universe. As we approach the new millennium, we find that many of these questions are within our reach, and important new insights are likely to result as space-age technology is applied to biological research. The Astrobiology Institute represents one of several NASA initiatives in astrobiology, with a special charter to develop new institutional relationships that will nurture and promote astrobiology research and training into the future.
Duplicating the harsh conditions of cold interstellar space in the laboratory, scientists from The Astrochemistry Laboratory at NASA's Ames Research Center and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The University of California Santa Cruz have created chemical compounds that may have been important for life's origin.
J. D. Bernal
First published in 1967, this classic book describes various theories of the origin of life as then understood. It also includes the text of essays by A. I. Oparin, J.B.S.Haldane. And G Mueller.
