Research summary
Can we deepen our understanding of life’s chemical principles by recreating life from scratch? As Canada Research Chair in Systems Chemistry, Dr. Joseph Moran is exploring this question. Moran and his research team are trying to identify the conditions under which chemical reactions similar to those underlying the metabolic network self-organize spontaneously without enzymes.
This metabolism-guided approach to prebiotic chemistry will provide a better understanding of how and why life’s biochemistry emerged and why it operates the way it does today. This work pulls from the past, but foreshadows a future in which we will be able to build dynamic chemical systems that respond to our environments, allowing us to adapt and evolve. Ultimately, Moran and his team hope their research will open new possibilities in both medicine and sustainable chemical technologies.