Mineral Surfaces: Origin and archive of biol. information

DNA molecules are nucleic acids that are synthesized by a complex biochemical machinery within living cells for information storage and hence as a blueprint for the organism. This project is dedicated to elucidate the behaviour of nucleic acids outside living cells. The specific focus in this context is the reactivity of DNA on mineral surfaces New findings in the field of Anthropology have demonstrated that DNA fragments (so called ancient DNA or aDNA) can survive over many millennia outside living organisms. This has, for example, lead to the recent deciphering of large parts of the Neanderthal genome. At the same time, scientists have often speculated that the prebiotic synthesis of nucleic acids on mineral surfaces may have played an important role in the emergence of life. The mechanisms of the synthesis and the degradation of nucleic acids on mineral surfaces, including the concomitant structural, mechanistic, thermodynamic and kinetic factors are the subject of this study. First, the adsorption of nucleic acids and their building blocks on mineral surfaces will be studied. Then, the formation of nucleic acids from their building blocks will be investigated and the structure of the products will be clarified. Finally, the stabilization and long-term protection of nucleic acids on mineral surface will be studied. A particular focus will be the role of other organic substances that are typically found on mineral surfaces in the environment in nucleic acid synthesis, adsorption and protection. This research endeavour is a collaborative project of the University of Vienna, the Centre de Recherche et d`Enseignement de Géosciences de l`Environnement (Aix- en-Provence) and the University of Bordeaux and is funded by the Austrian FWF and the French ANR.