Biology Project Abstract
ANALYSIS OF PREBIOTIC PROTEIN SYNTHESIS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ORIGIN OF LIFE
Presenters:
Amit Behal, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 W. Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL 60506; amitb@imsa.edu
Dmitry Goldin, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 W. Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL 60506; dgtal@imsa.e
Thomas Rooney, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 W. Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL 60506 tprooney@imsa.edu
David Xia, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 W. Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL 60506; dxia@imsa.edu
Advisor:
Richard Dods, Ph.D., Chemistry, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 W. Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL 60506; 630-907-5969; rdods@imsa.edu
Abstract:
While scientists have produced many theories on the origin of life, few have produced actual proof that explains the formation of complex organisms. These theories are often ill defined and lack the experimental support to withstand the mounting questions. Recently, Dr. Gunter Wachtershauser discussed the difficult question of how chemicals in prebiotic earth may have formed to produce the necessary proteins found in an organism, and we have tried to follow his experiment to reproduce his results. He discovered that amino acids in an iron-sulfide environment would form dipeptide and even tripeptides with FeS acting as the catalyst. While the setup was relatively easy, acquiring the materials required months alone. The experiment comprises building a closed model of a hypothermic environment by deaerating a serum bottle and charging it with FeSO4. After adding Na2S, CO gas, and NaOH, the mixture was heated at 100º C. The dipeptides are so extremely small in quantity that their detection requires high pressure liquid chromatography.