# life: apropos of transitions, a leap from chemistry to biology, the hypothesis of self-assembling droplets, the 'droplet world'.

AA << identify conditions suitable for concurrent peptide generation and self-assembly, and (..) show how a proliferating peptide-based droplet could be created by using synthesised amino acid thioesters as prebiotic monomers. Oligopeptides generated from the monomers spontaneously formed droplets through liquid–liquid phase separation in water. The droplets underwent a steady growth–division cycle by periodic addition of monomers through autocatalytic self-reproduction. Heterogeneous enrichment of RNA and lipids within droplets enabled RNA to protect the droplet from dissolution by lipids. >>

Matsuo, M., Kurihara, K. Proliferating coacervate droplets as the missing link between chemistry and biology in the origins of life. Nat Commun 12, 5487. doi: 10.1038/ s41467-021-25530-6. Sep 24,  2021.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-25530-6

<< By constructing peptide droplets that proliferate with feeding on novel amino acid derivatives, we have experimentally elucidated the long-standing mystery of how prebiotic ancestors were able to proliferate and survive by selectively concentrating prebiotic chemicals, (..) Rather than an RNA world, we found that 'droplet world' may be a more accurate description, as our results suggest that droplets became evolvable molecular aggregates—one of which became our common ancestor. >> Muneyuki Matsuo.

Answering a century-old question on the origins of life. Hiroshima University. Sep 27, 2021. 

https://phys.org/news/2021-09-century-old-life.html

Also

keyword 'drop' | 'droplet' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=drop

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=droplet

keyword 'transition' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=transition

keyword 'transizione' in Notes (quasi-stochastic poetry): 

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/search?q=transizione

keywords: life, originsoflife, transitions, drop, droplet

# chem: self-assembly in icosahedral (3D) nanoscale architectures

<< capsid proteins of spherical plant viruses can self-assemble into well-organized icosahedral three-dimensional (3D) nanoscale multivalent architectures with high monodispersity and structural symmetry >>

Narayanan KB, Han SS. Icosahedral plant viral nanoparticles - bioinspired synthesis of nanomaterials/nanostructures. Adv Colloid Interface Sci. 2017 Aug 31. pii: S0001-8686(16)30366-9. doi: 10.1016/j.cis.2017.08.005.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/28916111/

# gst: ️apropos of spontaneous active matter, the active droploids.

<< Active matter comprises self-driven units, such as bacteria and synthetic microswimmers, that can spontaneously form complex patterns and assemble into functional microdevices. These processes are possible thanks to the out-of-equilibrium nature of active-matter systems, fueled by a one-way free-energy flow from the environment into the system. Here, (AA) take the next step in the evolution of active matter by realizing a two-way coupling between active particles and their environment, where active particles act back on the environment giving rise to the formation of superstructures. >>️

<< These structures hinge on mutually coupled structure formation processes of the colloids, which form an engine, and the surrounding solvent, which phase separates in regions of high colloidal density and encapsulates the engine within a droplet shell.  >>

️

Jens Grauer, Falko Schmidt, et al. Active droploids. arXiv:2109.10677v1 [cond-mat.soft]. Sep 22, 2021.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.10677

Also

keyword 'drop' | 'droplet' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=drop

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=droplet

keyword 'goccia' in Notes (quasi-stochastic poetry): 

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/search?q=goccia

keywords: gst, drops, droplets, colloids, active matter, active droploids, self-assembly, solitons.

# gst: self-assembly of chemistry with music

<< audible sound can control chemical reactions in solution by continuously supplying energy sources into the interface between air and the solution.  The sound-controlled air-liquid chemical interactions 'painted' intriguing and aesthetic patterns on the surface and bulk of the solution.>>

<< The Pied Piper of Hamelin tells the mythological story of a pied piper who lured rats away from the city of Hamelin by enchanting them with the music from his magical pipe. With music working like a fuel for such artistic control in chemistry, our study has shown that even synthetic molecules can exhibit life-like behavior—listening and following a musical track, >> Rahul Dev Mukhopadhyay. 

Seeing chemical reactions with music. Institute for Basic Science. Aug 10, 2020.

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-chemical-reactions-music.html

<< the patterns obtained from artificially designed out-of-equilibrium chemical oscillating networks (such as the Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction for example) are unpredictable and difficult to control spatiotemporally, albeit reproducible over subsequent cycles. Here, (AA) show that it is possible to generate reproducible spatiotemporal patterns in out-of-equilibrium chemical reactions and self-assembling systems in water in the presence of sound waves, which act as a guiding physical stimulus. >>

Hwang, I., Mukhopadhyay, R.D., Dhasaiyan, P. et al. Audible sound-controlled spatiotemporal patterns in out-of-equilibrium systems. Nat. Chem. 12, 808–813 (2020). doi: 10.1038/ s41557-020-0516-2. Aug 10, 2020.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-020-0516-2    

# gst: self‐assembly of porous, chiral nano-patterns from simple building blocks.

<< Using a simple rod-like building block with hydroxamic acids at both ends scientists (..) created self- assembling porous, chiral nano structures.  >>

<< Like our left and right hands, the shape of two mirrored cage structures cannot be superimposed. Since the 19th century, academics have characterized this type of object symmetry as 'chiral,' from the ancient Greek meaning 'hand.' These kinds of molecules are frequently found in natural compounds. Chirality influences interactions of polarized light and magnetic properties and plays a vital role in life.  For example, our olfactory receptors react very differently to the two mirror images of the limonene molecule: one smells like lemon, the other like pine. This so-called chiral recognition is a process that can determine whether a molecule acts as medicine or poison. >>

Complex, porous, chiral nano-patterns arise from a simple linear building blocks. Technical University Munich. Jan 16, 2020.

https://m.phys.org/news/2020-01-complex-porous-chiral-nano-patterns-simple.html

<< Regrettably (in this specific experimental context), the end groups proved to be elusive >>

Chao Jing,  Bodong Zhang, et al. Snapshots of Dynamic Adaptation: Two‐Dimensional Molecular Architectonics with Linear Bis‐Hydroxamic Acid Modules. Angewandte Chemie International Edition. Volume 58, Issue 52. doi: 10.1002/anie.201912247. Oct 31, 2019. 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/anie.201912247

Also

keyword 'chiral' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=chiral

# rmx-s-chem: a new class of self-healing materials

<< (..) biomolecular machines have been exploited to perform mechanical work to deform and dynamically assemble complex, far-from-equilibrium polymer networks. In biology, tubular structures formed from proteins, e.g., microtubules, function as highways for transporting small molecules. These complex networks could be used to create self-repairing, long-lasting materials >>

<< Using biomolecular machines to continuously assemble one-dimensional arrays may enable a facile entry into a new class of self-healing materials for electronics and solar cells, among other uses >>

http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2015/bes-2015-11-a/

Walter F. Paxton, Nathan F. Bouxsein, et al. Dynamic assembly of polymer nanotube networks via kinesin powered microtubule filaments. Nanoscale, 2015,7, 10998-11004
DOI: 10.1039/C5NR00826C, Paper

http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2015/NR/C5NR00826C

# s-evol: rapid self-assembly, in shades of orange and green ...

<< Scientists  have  found  what  they  think  is  the  oldest  fossil  on  Earth,  a  remnant  of  life  from  3.7 billion  years  ago  when  Earth's  skies  were  orange  and  its  oceans  green. >>

<< The  discovery  shows  life  may  have  formed  quicker  and  easier  than  once  thought,  about  half  a billion  years  after  Earth  formed.  And  that  may  also  give  hope  for  life  forming  elsewhere,  such as  Mars >>

Seth  Borenstein. Scientists  find  3.7  billion-year-old  fossil,  oldest  yet.  August  31,  2016.

http://m.phys.org/news/2016-08-scientists-billion-year-old-fossil-oldest.html

AA << report  evidence  for  ancient  life  from  a  newly  exposed  outcrop  of  3,700-Myr-old  metacarbonate  rocks  in  the ISB (Isua  supracrustal  belt, southwest  Greenland)  that  contain  1–4-cm-high  stromatolites— macroscopically  layered  structures  produced  by  microbial communities >>

Allen P. Nutman, Vickie C. Bennett, et al.  Rapid  emergence  of  life  shown  by  discovery  of 3,700-million-year-old  microbial  structures. Nature   (2016)   doi:10.1038/nature19355. Published  online  31  August  2016.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature19355.html

# s-tech: DNA as a nano transistor

<< As electronics get smaller they are becoming more difficult and expensive to manufacture, but DNA-based devices could be designed from the bottom-up using directed self-assembly techniques such as ‘DNA origami’ >>

http://www.kurzweilai.net/will-this-dna-molecular-switch-replace-conventional-transistors

Juan Manuel Artés, Yuanhui Li,  et al. Conformational gating of DNA conductance. Nature Communications, 2015; 6: 8870 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9870

http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/151209/ncomms9870/full/ncomms9870.html

# s-evol: chaotic self-assembly to evolve prebiotic systems

<< chaotic thermal convection may play a previously unappreciated role in mediating surface-catalyzed synthesis in the prebiotic milieu >>

Aashish Priye, Yuncheng Yu, et al. Synchronized chaotic targeting and acceleration of surface chemistry in prebiotic hydrothermal microenvironments. PNAS vol. 114 no. 6, pp:1275–1280 doi:10.1073/pnas.1612924114

http://m.pnas.org/content/114/6/1275

Drew Thompson. Chaotic flows and the origin of life. April 14, 2017

https://m.phys.org/news/2017-04-chaotic-life.html

# gst: self-assembly in complex patterns during the evaporation of a sessile droplet

<< When a sessile droplet containing a solute in a volatile solvent evaporates, flow in the droplet can transport and assemble solute particles into complex patterns. >>

Bryan A. Nerger, P.-T. Brun, Celeste M. Nelson. Marangoni flows drive the alignment of fibrillar cell-laden hydrogels. Science Advances. Vol. 6, no. 24, eaaz7748. doi: 10.1126/ sciadv.aaz7748. Jun 12, 2020.

https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/24/eaaz7748   

Thamarasee Jeewandara. Marangoni flows drive the alignment of fibrillar cell-laden hydrogels. Phys.org. Jun 25, 2020

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-marangoni-alignment-fibrillar-cell-laden-hydrogels.html

Also

keyword 'Marangoni effect'

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marangoni_effect

http://web.mit.edu/2.21/www/Lec-notes/Surfacetension/Lecture4.pdf