Joint AIRAPT-18 & HPCC-11 Beijing, China July 2001 High Pressure and the Origin of Life High Pressure and the Origin of Life Robert Hazen, Nabil Boctor, Jay A. Brandes, George D. Cody, Russell J. Hemley, James Scott, Anurag Sharma, and Hatten S. Yoder, Jr. Carnegie Institution of Washington

High-Pressure and the Origin of Life What is the nature and distribution of life at high pressures? What are the extreme pressure limits to cellular life? How might biomolecules adapt to high pressure? What roles might pressure have played in prebiotic organic synthesis?

High-Pressure Life HMS Challenger – 1870s

High-Pressure Life 1972

High-Pressure Life Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents

High-Pressure Life Discoveries of Hydrothermal Vent Ecosystems

High-Pressure Life Discoveries of Life in Crustal Rocks – 1990s

High-Pressure Life Discoveries of life in extreme environments – 1990s

High-Pressure Life Methane ice worms

Life at High Pressures on other Worlds? Life at High Pressures on other Worlds? Deep, wet environments may exist on Mars, Europa, etc.

Pressure Limits of Life Isolation and Culture of High-Pressure Microbes – 1980s

Pressure Limits of Life Isolation and Culture of High-Pressure Microbes – 1990s

Pressure Limits of Life Isolation and Culture of Microbes at 1 GPa – 2001

Pressure Limits of Life Microbes continue to reduce formate at pressures above 10,000 atmospheres

Effects of Pressure on Biomolecules Pressure induces phase transitions in membrane- forming lipid molecules.

Effects of Pressure on Biomolecules High-pressure cell membranes employ Modified lipids with unsaturated bonds.

Effects of Pressure on Water Pressure dramatically alters the thermal stability and physical properties of water.

Hydrothermal Organic Synthesis Three techniques Gold tube reactors

Hydrothermal Organic Synthesis Three techniques Hydrothermal Diamond Anvil Cell

Hydrothermal Organic Synthesis Three techniques Flow-through Reactor

Hydrothermal F-T Synthesis Reactants: CO 2 + H 2 + H 2 O Catalyst: Iron metal Conditions: 300 o C 500 atm 24 hours

Pyruvic Acid Reactants: Pyruvic acid + CO 2 + H 2 O Conditions: 200 o C 2,000 atm 2 hours Products: A diverse suite of organic molecules

Hydrothermal Organic Synthesis Research Strategy

The Formation of C-C Bonds Under High-P Hydrothermal Conditions The Formation of C-C Bonds Under High-P Hydrothermal Conditions

The Formation of C-C Bonds Under High-P Hydrothermal Conditions The Formation of C-C Bonds Under High-P Hydrothermal Conditions

The Formation of C-C Bonds Under High-P Hydrothermal Conditions The Formation of C-C Bonds Under High-P Hydrothermal Conditions

Thomas Gold’s Hypothesis: Organic Synthesis in the Mantle Thomas Gold (1999) NY:Springer-Verlag.

Conclusions Deep life is abundant and richly varied. Cellular life can exist at pressures exceeding 1 GPa. We have much to learn about the pressure adaptations of biomolecules. High pressure facilitates and enhances many hydrothermal organic reactions, because pressure increases the temperature stability of the aqueous phase.