Santa Fe Institute Collaboration Platform

Origins

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Contact: Chris Kempes, Project Principal Investigator, ckempes@santafe.edu

User:SarahMaurer

From Origins

Sarah Maurer.jpg

Name
Sarah Maurer
Affiliation
Central CT State Univ.
Email address
smaurer@ccsu.edu

Biography

Dr. Maurer is interested in the abiogenesis from both the origins-of-life and artificial life perspectives. She builds model cells from amphiphiles, and examines possible life-like properties, such as metabolism or growth and division. Her current projects include: - Changes in populations of model cells when put under environmental pressure. The goal of this work is to examine the ability of cells to survive in the absence of reproduction (prebiotic conditions). This project seeks to model the evolution of cellular containers available on early Earth. - Damage to model cells from ultraviolet light. This seeks to address the ability of cells to survive in the absence of an atmosphere. Comets, meteors, and asteroids are exposed to greater UV radiation. Also certain stars, the distance a planet is from its star, and the atmosphere of the planet can all lead to higher degrees of UV radiation in locations where life may now be forming. - Artificial photosynthesis under prebiotic conditions generating reduced carbon and a proton gradient using transmembrane electron transport.

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Involvement in the Origins Research Theme

Presenter

This user is listed as a presenter for the following agenda items:

  1. Major Transitions in Life: Origins to Translation/Mini review: Macromolecules

Attendee

This user is listed as an attendee for the following meetings:

  1. Major Transitions in Life: Origins to Translation