ERC Starting Grant · 2023
Fossilised remains of protocells transitioning towards the first living organisms may be observable in the early rock record distorting our interpretation of biosignatures. Protocells – cellular structures existing prior to the emergence of life – would have comprised simple membranes and molecular machinery. The formation of complex protocells is poorly understood. The interpretation of fossilised microorganisms in the early rock record is steeped in controversy. The potential for abiotic microstructures to further complicate this interpretation has long been recognised but has not been systematically tested. Evidence suggests that prebiotic structures are very difficult to distinguish…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.