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Energy propagation throughout a protometabolism
Living systems rely on chains of energy transfer to maintain their
metabolism from an energy source. This task requires
functionally-identified components and organizations. However
propagation of a sustained energy flux throughout a cascade of
reaction cycles has never been reproduced at steady-state in a simple
chemical system. Using energy patterning and a diffusing hub reactant,
we achieved to transfer energy throughout an abiotic protometabolism.
Patterned illumination was applied on a liquid solution of a
reversible photoacid. It resulted in the local onset of a proton-pump,
which subsequently drove an extended reaction-diffusion cycle
involving pH sensitive reactants. Hence light has been used for
locally setting out-of-chemical equilibrium a reaction involving
``blind’’ reactants.
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Contact : michael.schindler@espci.fr