Uncharted Pathways: Aqueous Chemistry Avoided by Terrestrial Life (UPACA)

Metabolism has become locked-in on reaction pathways that are surprisingly conserved in the else highly diverse biological world. It is not clear, what the alternatives to terrestrial metabolism could be. Alternative and less specific reactions than those of metabolism are likely to have occurred before the evolution of specific enzymes, and such reactions may pervade as side reactions to today’s biochemistry. Here we surmise that simple reactive chemicals can 1. reconstitute biomimetic pathways and 2. probe pathways that were not implemented in terrestrial life. An approach focusing on non-implemented chemistry may be informative both on the origin of life, on viable pathways for sustainable chemistry in water, and on reactions that may be detrimental to life.