Sprecher
Beschreibung
Natural selection of RNA protocells
Understanding how Darwinian selection emerged in prebiotic systems remains a central challenge in origins-of-life research. In this talk, I will present an experimental model of RNA-based coacervate protocells in which compartment survival is directly coupled to internal ribozyme activity. Using an autocatalytic ribozyme, we show that RNA-catalyzed elongation reactions modify the polymer length distribution inside coacervates, thereby altering their physicochemical stability under dehydration. The protocells display differential survival, leading to exclusion of less stable populations. Additionally, surviving compartments grow and preserve their molecular identity during rewetting, a necessary condition for heredity. Together, these results demonstrate a minimal physicochemical mechanism for compartment-level natural selection of RNA reactions, paving the way for evolution by natural selection in the RNA world.