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A chemically fuelled self-replicator

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah M. Morrow

    (University of Oxford, Mansfield Road)

  • Ignacio Colomer

    (University of Oxford, Mansfield Road)

  • Stephen P. Fletcher

    (University of Oxford, Mansfield Road)

Abstract

The continuous consumption of chemical energy powers biological systems so that they can operate functional supramolecular structures. A goal of modern science is to understand how simple chemical mixtures may transition from non-living components to truly emergent systems and the production of new lifelike materials and machines. In this work a replicator can be maintained out-of-equilibrium by the continuous consumption of chemical energy. The system is driven by the autocatalytic formation of a metastable surfactant whose breakdown products are converted back into building blocks by a chemical fuel. The consumption of fuel allows the high-energy replicators to persist at a steady state, much like a simple metabolic cycle. Thermodynamically-driven reactions effect a unidirectional substrate flux as the system tries to regain equilibrium. The metastable replicator persists at a higher concentration than achieved even transiently in a closed system, and its concentration is responsive to the rate of fuel supply.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah M. Morrow & Ignacio Colomer & Stephen P. Fletcher, 2019. "A chemically fuelled self-replicator," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-08885-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08885-9
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    Cited by:

    1. Xianhua Lang & Yingjie Huang & Lirong He & Yixi Wang & Udayabhaskararao Thumu & Zonglin Chu & Wilhelm T. S. Huck & Hui Zhao, 2023. "Mechanosensitive non-equilibrium supramolecular polymerization in closed chemical systems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Benjamin Klemm & Reece W. Lewis & Irene Piergentili & Rienk Eelkema, 2022. "Temporally programmed polymer – solvent interactions using a chemical reaction network," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.

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