Organisms use complex molecules like RNA, DNA, and proteins to store, process, and pass on information. These molecules are made from building blocks like amino acids, sugars and nucleotides, which were formed billions of years ago through simple chemical reactions.

But how do such building blocks give rise to systems that exhibit signs of life? What circumstances and processes make simple reaction networks develop into systems in which information circulates?

A lot of research on the origin of life focuses on specific chemical routes, often inspired by organisms that currently live on Earth. This project chooses an alternative, complementary approach: it views life as something that can originate from a complex, dynamic system in which information is processed.

Models are used to develop a theoretical framework to determine under which conditions simple chemical networks may store, process, and edit information. The goal of this project is to not only end up with a theoretical description of such lifelike systems, but also duplicate them with experiments.