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**Summary:**
A new study published in *Nature Physics* suggests that simple heat gradients, like those found near volcanic rocks on early Earth, could have played a crucial role in the origin of life. Researchers created small chambers with a temperature difference and introduced a cell-free protein synthesis kit. They found that the temperature gradient concentrated essential biomolecules, such as DNA, RNA components, amino acids, and key ions in the cooler area, triggering protein synthesis even without a cell membrane. This indicates that heat-driven molecular accumulation could have been a simple mechanism to initiate complex biochemical processes that eventually led to the formation of the first cells.
**News Article:**
**Simple Heat Gradients May Have Kickstarted Life on Early Earth, Study Finds**
*July 6, 2025 (IST)* – New research published in *Nature Physics* offers compelling evidence that basic temperature differences, perhaps like those around volcanic rocks on early Earth, could have been the spark that ignited life.
Scientists from Canada, Finland, Germany, and Italy conducted experiments using miniature chambers with controlled temperature gradients. They introduced a cell-free protein synthesis kit containing DNA, RNA polymerase, amino acids and more derived from E. coli bacteria, and found that the temperature gradient concentrated vital biomolecules in the cooler section of the chamber. This accumulation triggered protein synthesis, even without a cell membrane, suggesting that early protocells could have formed in a similar way.
“Our study shows that a simple heat gradient, like you might find in a crack on a rock surface heated from below, could have gathered together all the necessary building blocks and set protein synthesis in motion,” explained the lead researcher. “This is a fascinating alternative to other theories about the origin of life.”
The study demonstrated that the temperature difference caused molecules to drift from the hotter side towards the cooler side, effectively trapping them. The team observed a significant concentration of GFP (green fluorescent protein) in the cooler zone, along with other essential ions and molecular building blocks.
While researchers caution that recreating the exact conditions of early Earth is impossible, the findings offer a plausible mechanism for how the first protocells might have gathered the molecules needed for life to begin.
“In my opinion, I don’t think we’ll ever exactly figure out what exactly happened on early earth. But one takeaway is that maybe the start of life needn’t have been very complicated or specialised,” said National Centre for Biological Sciences professor Shashi Thutupalli.
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