Deep sea vents had ideal conditions for origin of life

By creating protocells in hot, alkaline seawater, a UCL-led research team has added to evidence that the origin of life could have been in deep-sea hydrothermal vents rather than shallow pools. Previous experiments had failed to foster the formation of protocells - seen as a key stepping stone to the development of cell-based life - in such environments, but the new study, published in  Nature Ecology & Evolution , finds that heat and alkalinity might not just be acceptable, but necessary to get life started. "There are multiple competing theories as to where and how life started. Underwater hydrothermal vents are among most promising locations for life's beginnings - our findings now add weight to that theory with solid experimental evidence," said the study's lead author, Professor Nick Lane (UCL Genetics, Evolution & Environment). Deep under the Earth's seas, there are vents where seawater comes into contact with minerals from the planet's crust, reacting to create a warm, alkaline (high on the pH scale) environment containing hydrogen. The process creates mineral-rich chimneys with alkaline and acidic fluids, providing a source of energy that facilitates chemical reactions between hydrogen and carbon dioxide to form increasingly complex organic compounds. Some of the world's oldest fossils, discovered by a UCL-led team, originated in such underwater vents.