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From Light to Life

Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres volume 45, pages 347–350 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

The biogeochemical cycles of H, C, N, O and S are coupled via biologically catalyzed electron transfer (redox) reactions far from thermodynamic equilibrium. In this paper I examine the evolution of the structural motifs responsible for redox reactions (the biological “transistors”) across the tree of life, and the photogeochemical reactions on minerals that ultimately came to be the driving force for these biological reactions.

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Acknowledgments

Our research is supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Grant GBMF2807 to Paul Falkowski and by Grant 0940187 from the National Science Foundation Grant.

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Affiliations

  1. Environmental Biophysics and Molecular Ecology Program, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

    Paul G. Falkowski

Authors
  1. Paul G. Falkowski
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Correspondence to Paul G. Falkowski.

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Falkowski, P.G. From Light to Life. Orig Life Evol Biosph 45, 347–350 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-015-9441-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-015-9441-6

Keywords

  • Redox
  • Transition metals
  • Protein structures