How calcium may have guided early molecular directionality

How calcium may have guided early molecular directionality

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Mar 30, 2025 A new investigation from the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at Institute of Science Tokyo has revealed that calcium ions may have played a critical role in shaping life's early molecular asymmetry. This discovery adds a fresh dimension to the enduring question of how biological molecules acquired a consistent chirality, or handedness, during the origin of life. Just as human hands are

How did life on Earth come about? Science still has no clear answer, but at least a few very exciting clues

How Calcium May Have Unlocked The Origins Of Life’s Molecular Asymmetry - Astrobiology

A new study led by researchers at the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at Institute of Science Tokyo has uncovered a surprising role for calcium in shaping life’s earliest molecular structures. Their findings suggest that calcium ions can selectively influence how primitive polymers form, shedding light on a long-standing mystery: how life’s molecules came to prefer […] The post How Calcium May Have Unlocked The Origins Of Life’s Molecular As…