Öffentlicher Abendvortrag von Professor Dr. Thomas Carell (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) im Rahmen der Vortragsreihe „Life Sciences“ mit dem Schwerpunktthema „Molecules of life”

The origin of life on the early earth must have been proceeded by the emergence of the key molecules that are needed to establish nucleic acid and proteins. In this prebiotic phase of live, chemical processes must have occurred that let to the formation of nucleobases, amino acids and other molecules that a first primitive cells must have needed. With the discovery of exoplanets and based on current spectroscopic advances that allow us to investigate the composition of the atmospheres of exoplanets, the question under which conditions the molecules of life can form, has gained tremendous importance, even beyond origin of life research. In my lecture I will report about new geochemical models of the early earth atmosphere and crust. I will discuss reactions pathways that generate with astonishing ease amino acids and nucleic acids. The result of the study is that the emergence of life is not a rare event, dictated by chance but that it is rather an inevitable event that takes place under a variety of conditions.

Moderation: Professorin Dr. Sabine Müller