Researchers Point Out a Hidden Process in Hot Springs That May Have Helped to Develop Life on Earth
Researchers have made further progress in their quest to discover more about the origin of life on Earth. Experts have often cited processes in deep-sea hydrothermal vents as reasons behind life beginning on the planet, Science Alert reported. But now they have turned their focus on hot springs after noting similar activities in places like the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Research on the role of iron sulfides present in hot springs has been published in Nature Communications.
Researchers in their study believe that the iron sulfides present in terrestrial hot springs played a major role in the origin of life, Space Daily reported. The compound has always been intriguing to experts because it has the potential to trigger chemical reactions to formulate life. Before the recent study, experts analyzed iron sulfide's presence in the vents of the deep ocean with respect to the creation of life.
Iron sulfides are formed when dissolved iron and hydrogen sulfide interact with each other, Science Alert reported. Experts believe that the compound was present during the existence of the Last Universal Common Ancestor. Examinations over the years have noted connections between iron sulfides and carbon fixation. This caused researchers to further speculate if the substance played a role in the planet's transition from early Earth geochemistry to biology.
Building on the data gathered in the analysis of deep-sea hydrothermal vents, the study went forward with an examination of iron sulfides in present hot springs, Space Daily reported. The team synthesized nanoscale iron sulfides, including pure forms and those doped with elements.
Experiments revealed that these minerals could reduce CO2 at moderate temperatures (80-120 °C) and atmospheric pressure. Manganese-doped iron sulfides exhibited the highest catalytic activity at 120 °C. The reduction was further enhanced in the presence of ultraviolet and visible light.
Carbon Dioxide reduction has already been identified as an essential process for the beginning of life on the planet by experts. The study showcased that factors like sunlight and water vapor of hot springs amplified the catalytic strength of iron sulfides and aided the prebiotic chemistry essential for early life mechanisms.
Researchers further conducted an in-situ analysis to understand these mechanisms in detail. The in-situ analysis was facilitated through the application of diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). The data gathered through this system reflected that a pathway involving the reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction was used to facilitate life processes by the iron sulfides in the hot springs.
In this pathway, CO2 was reduced to carbon monoxide and was thereafter hydrogenated to become methanol. Calculations indicated that reaction efficiency enhanced when iron sulfide was doped with manganese.
The study claims that iron sulfides acted as metabolic enzymes, and aided in the creation of the chemical framework required for prebiotic carbon fixation. Researchers are hopeful the study will provide more clarity regarding the origin of life and will make experts look into other avenues when trying to understand the origin of life.