A groundbreaking experiment by six scientists has shed light on the origin of life, supporting the existence of a “thioester world” before living beings. The research suggests that a sulfur compound could have been key to the appearance of the first proteins on early Earth.
The discovery was made in a laboratory in London, where the team triggered reactions that could have occurred in this hypothetical environment. According to Kepa Ruiz Mirazo, a biophysicist and philosopher at the University of the Basque Country, it is “a major breakthrough, perhaps the most significant in recent times” in the study of life’s origins.
The research builds on earlier experiments by Matthew Powner’s team, who demonstrated that peptides could form using ingredients present on Earth around 4 billion years ago. The new study takes this a step further, showing how amino acids and RNA spontaneously combine in water with neutral pH conditions similar to those on primordial Earth.
Powner’s team has now made amino acids and RNA join together in their laboratory, under conditions that would have existed on early Earth. This breakthrough brings us closer to understanding the origin of protein synthesis, a fundamental aspect of life. As Power said, “Life relies on the ability to synthesize proteins — they are life’s key functional molecules.”
The discovery is significant as it unites two prominent origin-of-life theories: the RNA world hypothesis and the thioester world theory. The researchers achieved this by using pantetheine, an active fragment of coenzyme A, involved in metabolic processes essential for energy production.
Biophysicist Kepa Ruiz Mirazo praised the new work, calling it “a beautiful demonstration of prebiotic systems chemistry.” He notes that while there are still many pieces to be solved in the origin-of-life puzzle, science has found an important place to fit.
Source: https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2025-08-27/experiment-sheds-light-on-the-origin-of-life-supporting-the-existence-of-a-thioester-world-before-living-beings.html