Cover. Illuminating the origins: Through the kaleidoscopic glass of the Sagrada Familia, a cascade of amino acids, peptides, and small proteins emerge, symbolizing the quest from mystic origins to scientific enlightenment. This vivid artwork captures a transformative journey, mapping the path from mystical beginnings to the concrete foundations of biochemical evolution.
Our recent article, published in the ACS Accounts of Chemical Research,overviews mechanisms through which layered minerals could have facilitated the formation of the first molecules of life and molecules lookinglike the first molecules of life. We discuss how one could tell those apart based on their composition, local environment and the encapsulating layered mineral.
As a small community of scientist from the Universities of Edinburgh and Durham, we started www.scientist-next-door.org project.
Our aim is to share our passion for science with children that are now bound to be homeschooled through the COVID-19 lockdown.
We believe this time can become a life-changing opportunity and help bring up a new generation of fantastic scientists!
During the lockdown, we will hold group video calls with families and discuss topics of interest, share ideas and resources.
We have called this project Scientist Next Door as we think after the lockdown is over, it would be great to meet in person your neighbouring scientists!
You can learn more about scientists participating to this project here. And if you are a scientist and would like to join us, contact Valentina.
And for now, stay home, stay safe, look after yourselves and loved ones and join the forum and the upcoming video calls.
Most fascinating talks at the Erskine Williamson Day at the Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions! It was great to discuss how my computational chemistry toolkit can be used for Astrochemistry and Astrobiology at Extremes, and obviously, look at the Origins of Life.
A very brief visit to Royal Holloway today, invited by Lyell Geosciences Society to talk about my work on Molecular modelling of minerals and materials: from Origins of life to modern challenges.
Today I was invited to present my work at The Centre for Resources and Earth Energy Systems, CeREES, as part of their seminar series. I discussed the versatility molecular modelling offers: whether the emergence of protobiomolecules, delamination of layered materials or enhanced oil recovery, all these processes are driven by the molecular interactions at the interface.
CeREES is the only research centre in the UK that works across all geoenergy and resource themes, carrying out high-level multidisciplinary research in Petroleum, Unconventional Hydrocarbons, Geothermal, Clean Coal, Resources from Waste, Carbon Capture and Storage, Water and Mineral Resources.
I am humbled to receive this year’s Institute of Physics BRSG Founder’s Prize for the presentation of my methodology, coupling MD and ssNMR, to rationalise dynamics in solids.
The prize is in memory of the late Professor E R Andrew, founder of British Radiofrequency Spectroscopy Group. Prof Andrew was a pioneer of magic angle spinning and other methods in magnetic resonance.
This week I had a fantastic opportunity to participate in the Interdisciplinary Origin of Life meeting organised by Institute of Molecular Evolution and hosted in the beautiful Schloß Mickeln, Düsseldorf.
A love story of two lonely amino acids floating in a primordial pond, and how they hooked up on a mineral dance floor. This possibly is a true story of Life or maybe not, but it surely will make us wonder.
The meeting brought together researches from disciplines as diverse as geochemistry, bioinformatics, astrophysics and philosophy, all sharing the passion for the study of Origin of Life.
Throughout the meeting, we held roundtable discussions to debate our ideas and views, discuss the unknowns in the field, and talk about the future direction of this research.
I was honoured to chair “From Geochemistry to Biochemistry – a Tough Transition” roundtable, full of passionate and engaging discussions on the emergence of very first molecules and the formation of very first polymeric systems starting life as we know it today.
I am confident that this Interdisciplinary Origin of Life meeting will generate new ideas and lead to many fruitful collaborations in future!
Today I was invited to present my work at 
