Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization have discovered that catalytic molecules can spontaneously form metabolically active clusters. This ability for self-organization might have played a pivotal role in the emergence of life on Earth. This finding was discussed in an article published in the journal Nature Communications, as reported by "Rambler."
One of the proposed scenarios for the origin of life involves the spontaneous self-organization of interacting molecules into cell-like droplets. These molecules initiated the first metabolic cycles, becoming foundational for all living organisms. According to this perspective, biomolecules would have had to come together via relatively slow and inefficient processes, a depiction that contradicts the relatively rapid emergence of primitive life.
However, in this new study, researchers proposed an alternative model that explains the spontaneous formation of clusters and the rapid development of metabolic reactions essential for life. The only component of this model were catalytically active molecules, which formed clusters growing at an exponential rate. Consequently, these molecules could assemble swiftly and in large quantities into dynamic structures, as "Rambler" points out.
Additionally, it was found that the number of molecule types involved in a metabolic cycle plays a vital role in the structure of the emerging clusters. A metabolic cycle comprising an odd number of molecules might have an advantage over a cycle with an even number, due to the formation of an oscillatory steady state. This is probably associated with the fact that one of the most vital metabolic cycles in living organisms, known as the Krebs cycle, consists of precisely 11 members, as mentioned by "Rambler."