A team of scientists from the Scripps Research Institute in California and the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., have discovered a new biochemical fossil that suggests that life may have emerged on Earth without the need for phosphate.

Phosphate is a mineral that is essential for all known forms of life, as it is a key component of DNA and RNA. However, the new study shows that a type of organic molecule called a thioester can perform many of the same functions as phosphate, suggesting that life may have originated in an environment where phosphate was scarce or absent.

The findings, which were published in the journal Nature Chemistry, could have implications for the search for life on other planets, as they suggest that life may be able to exist in environments that are very different from Earth.

The Study

The scientists began by studying a type of bacteria that is known to be able to survive in environments that are extremely low in phosphate. They found that these bacteria use thioesters instead of phosphate to make DNA and RNA.

To further investigate the role of thioesters in the origin of life, the scientists created a synthetic version of a thioester and tested its ability to perform the same functions as phosphate in a variety of biological reactions. They found that the thioester was able to successfully catalyze a number of important reactions, including the synthesis of DNA and RNA.

Implications for the Origin of Life

The findings of this study suggest that life may have emerged on Earth in an environment where phosphate was scarce or absent. This could have important implications for the search for life on other planets, as it expands the range of environments that could potentially support life.

In addition, the study provides new insights into the early evolution of life on Earth. It is possible that the first organisms that emerged on Earth used thioesters instead of phosphate, and that these organisms eventually evolved to use phosphate as their primary genetic material.

The study also raises the possibility that life may have emerged on other planets that have environments that are very different from Earth. For example, Mars is a planet that is known to have a very low phosphate content, but it is possible that life may have emerged on Mars in an environment where thioesters were more abundant.

The discovery of a biochemical fossil that suggests that life may have emerged without phosphate is a significant breakthrough in the field of astrobiology. It has implications for the search for life on other planets and provides new insights into the early evolution of life on Earth.

Sources

* [Nature Chemistry](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-022-01117-2)

* [Science Daily](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230124111606.htm)

* [The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/24/science/life-origin-phosphate-alternative.html)