Shallow geothermal systems: Physico-chemical factories for molecular evolution (B04)

• Subject Area: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 521256690

Active geological processes and the environments they shape are crucial for the emergence of life. Identifying the most probable environments for life's origin is a challenging topic. One key challenge is finding environments that facilitate a range of reactions, from simple building blocks to complex organic molecules and functional polymers. This study explores shallow geothermal environments influenced by magmatic/volcanic activity as potential "factories" for prebiotic reactions. These systems offer diverse conditions and efficient transport processes, enabling the cycling of reactants and organic products and establishing gradients for chemical, temperature, and pH variations.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 392: Molecular evolution in prebiotic environments
• Applicant Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Project Head: Professorin Dr. Bettina Scheu, since 1/2024