Scientists Take First Step Towards Creating 'Inorganic Life'
ScienceDaily (Sep. 15, 2011) — Scientists at the University of Glasgow say they have taken their first tentative steps towards creating 'life' from inorganic chemicals potentially defining the new area of 'inorganic biology'.
Researchers led by Professor Lee Cronin at the University of Glasgow have developed inorganic chemical cells (iCHELLs), which show redox activity, chirality, as well as selective permeability towards small molecules, and which can be nested within one another, potentially allowing stepwise reactions to occur in sequence within the cell. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Glasgow)
Professor Lee Cronin, Gardiner Chair of Chemistry in the College of Science and Engineering, and his team have demonstrated a new way of making inorganic-chemical-cells or iCHELLs.
Prof Cronin said: "All life on earth is based on organic biology (i.e. carbon in the form of amino acids, nucleotides, and sugars, etc.) but the inorganic world is considered to be inanimate.
"What we are trying do is create self-replicating, evolving inorganic cells that would essentially be alive. You could call it inorganic biology."
The cells can be compartmentalised by creating internal membranes that control the passage of materials and energy through them, meaning several chemical processes can be isolated within the same cell -- just like biological cells.
The researchers say the cells, which can also store electricity, could potentially be used in all sorts of applications in medicine, as sensors or to confine chemical reactions.
The research is part of a project by Prof Cronin to demonstrate that inorganic chemical compounds are capable of self-replicating and evolving -- just as organic, biological carbon-based cells do.
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Modular Redox-Active Inorganic Chemical Cells: iCHELLs†
Dr. Geoffrey J. T. Cooper1, Dr. Philip J. Kitson1, Ross Winter1,
Dr. Michele Zagnoni2, Dr. De-Liang Long1, Prof. Leroy Cronin1,*
Article first published online: 8 SEP 2011
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201105068
Keywords:
capsules; chemical cells; membranes; polyoxometalates; self‒assembly
Abstract
Cell within a cell: Interfacial membrane formation by cation exchange of polyoxometalates produces modular inorganic chemical cells with tunable morphology, properties, and composition (see picture).
These inorganic chemical cells (iCHELLs), which show redox activity, chirality, as well as selective permeability towards small molecules, can be nested within one another, potentially allowing stepwise reactions to occur in sequence within the cell.
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