Transcript Application of Molecular Biology Techniques in Astrobiology

APPLICATION OF
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY TECHNIQUES
IN ASTROBIOLOGY
RICCARDO S. GATTA
Ph.D. Molecular Genetics, I.C.G.E.B. New Delhi, Reg’d Pharmacist
JULIAN CHELA-FLORES
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics
Strada Costiera 11; 34136 Trieste, Italy and
Instituto de Estudios Avanzados,
Caracas 1015A, Venezuela
INTRODUCTION
 CLASSIC MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
APPROACH TO
RECOGNISE MOLECULAR BIOSIGNATURES,
&
 APPLY THIS IN AN ISOLATED ENVIRONMENT.
 SELECT TARGET,
 SELECT TECHNIQUE,
 ADAPT...
SEARCH FOR LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE
OBSERVATIONS
-
EVOLUTION
?
The Origin
MODERN
DARWIN
ANAXIMANDER
(VI BCE)
MACROSCOPIC
DEMOCRITUS
(460-370
BCE)
(1809-1882)
D
C
IVERGENT
ONVERGENT
PARALLEL
HAEKEL
MICROSCOPIC
(1834-1919)

WOESE
(1980’s)
ANCESTOR
?

MOLECULAR
MODELS OF
EVOLUTION
LAST UNIVERSAL
COMMON
ANCESTOR
EVOLUTION & NATURAL SELECTION
UNIVERSAL CONCEPTS?
IF
Yes
No
continue…
(…and skip next slide)
LIFE…?
EVOLUTION
LIFE
& AS
NATURAL
A TARGET
SELECTION
IDENTIFY & C
QONCEPTS
UANTIFY ?
UNIVERSAL
Structure
IF
Complexity
continue…
Transduction
Yes
No
Replication
(…and skip next slide)
Energy
LIFE…?
Complex Structures
Specific Interactions
More Complexity
Metabolism
Chemistry
Emergent Chirality
Driving ForcesMore Disequilibrium
Polymers Molecular / Cellular
Waste
CENTRAL DOGMA OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Crick, 1958
DNA
RNA
PROTEINS
DO NOT
REPLICATION:
TRANSCRIPTION:
TRANSLATION:
code for :
DNA DNA mRNA
↕
↓
↓
“… to apply only to
present-day
andProtein
DNAorganisms,
mRNA
not to events in the remote past, such as the origin of life
or the origin of the code.” Crick, 1970
Figure from Labfrontier Corporation
Voltage-gated channels
EVOLUTIONARY CRITERIA
K
TIME /
Modern Proteins
v
K ir
Ca v Na v
EVOLUTION
Na
PHANEROZOIC
~800
million
570 Myo
- present
Example of divergence
years ago
PROTEROZOIC
Ca
Where can we
seek
homology?
BUT
from LUCA at
2.5 Gyo – 570 Myo
Homology with
Check-Point
known molecules ARCHEAN
Intervals
4.6 – 2.5 Gyo
K
For:
Homology
Ancient
Proteins, with
knownchannels
molecules
membrane
Moczydlowski, 1998
Early K channels
2: BUILD UP (CONSTRUCTION)
Homology in:
1: INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS
1:
2:
COMPOSITION
Vassily
Kandinsky.
BLUE 2, 8,
Joan
Miro’.
3: THE PARADIGM:
FROM: NASA, JPL, UA, UC.
DECONSTRUCT
EUROPA
IDENTIFY BASIC ELEMENTS
LINK
to
PART 2