Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Title : | Prebiotic protein synthesis revealing the mystery of Origins of Life |
Area of research : | Life Sciences & Biotechnology |
Focus area : | Astrobiology, Biochemistry |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Shibaji Basak, Gandhi Institute Of Technology And Management (Gitam), Andhra Pradesh |
Timeline Start Year : | 2023 |
Timeline End Year : | 2025 |
Contact info : | shibajibasak@gmail.com |
Details
Executive Summary : | The study aims to explore the origins of proteins, which became crucial cellular machinery on early Earth. The emergence of living systems from a non-living prebiotic soup remains a mystery. Modern protein synthesis relies on a complex ribosome, and it is unlikely that anything similar existed on Earth 3-4 billion years ago. The building blocks of life, such as amino acids and nucleobase, were likely present on prebiotic Earth. Self-assembled nano-fibers of peptide/amino acid-nucleobase conjugate molecules will be tested as a template for prebiotic protein synthesis. The selected peptides/proteins will be studied inside vesicles to investigate prebiotic catalysis and its impact on protocellular survivability. |
Total Budget (INR): | 30,49,343 |
Organizations involved