A model of the evolution of the genetic code from the perspective of circular code theory

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Elena Fimmel
• Subject Area: Mathematics ; Bioinformatics and Theoretical Biology
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 579605601

This project investigates the evolutionary origins and structural logic of the genetic code through the lens of circular code theory. Recent discoveries of universal trinucleotide and dinucleotide circular codes across species suggest that frame-preserving structures may have played a foundational role in the emergence of genetic translation. One of the project's research objectives is to investigate the relationship between the so-called binary dichotomic algorithms, developed earlier by the applicant and her cooperation partners, and dinucleotide circular codes. The question is interesting and important because it establishes a link between the mathematical concept of circular codes and the chemical/biological machinery in the ribosome. Another key objective is to evaluate the biological plausibility of probabilistic code construction methods, particularly the Koch-Lehmann approach, in generating dinucleotide circular codes. This method, grounded in nucleotide frequency distributions, offers a natural framework for modeling primitive coding systems prior to the protein world. The project will combine theoretical modeling with large-scale statistical analysis of genomic data from public repositories (e.g., GenBank). This will allow us to determine species-specific versus universal code patterns and compare them with previously statistically identified codes. In the final phase a model of a possible precursor to the modern genetic code will be developed, simulating a transition from dinucleotide-based systems to the trinucleotide architecture, contributing to our understanding of molecular evolution and the origins of translation fidelity.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Christian Michel