Bob Planqué is awarded a project within PRELIFE consortium on the origins of life
The interdisciplinary research consortium PRELIFE has been awarded an NWA grant by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) for investigating the origin of life on Earth and in the universe. The consortium will receive €6.7 million to explore this research question, and comprises scientists from sixteen universities and research institutes across the Netherlands.
Within this consortium, mathematical biologist Bob Planqué will collaborate with physicist Patrick Onck from Groningen on life-like properties in chemical reaction systems. The project aims to generate a synthetic chemical system that features multiple functions of life by modelling the emergence of metabolism and compartmentalisation, starting from a simple peptide-based self-replicating system. This system has already been studied in detail experimentally, and already shows, next to self-replication, important properties such as spontaneous catalysis of simple reactions. In this way, the project aims to better understand the mechanisms that organise prebiotic reaction pathways into self-sustaining systems that feature the defining functions of primitive life.
NWA
A total of nine consortia have received funding for research within the program line “Research along Routes by Consortia” (ORC) of the National Science Agenda (NWA). Each consortium will work on a project centered around a theme from the NWA routes. In these projects, researchers collaborate with knowledge partners and societal organizations.
The foundation for the creation and renewal of the National Science Agenda lies with citizens. In the NWA program, connecting society and science is essential. Governments, researchers, societal organizations, and citizens jointly develop and utilize knowledge to achieve scientific and societal impact. Through science communication, knowledge is shared within society to increase involvement in and trust of science.
More information on the PRELIFE consortium and all the work packages.