The results of the ABC project research have been released.
©Tommaso P Fraccia
Summary：
DNA, which carries human genetic information, extends to about 2 meters when stretched out straight, but it is compressed to about 1 millionth of its length fitting inside cells by winding around proteins. Such interactions between DNA and proteins may have been deeply related to the “origin of life.
As adding lemon juice to milk forms a yogurt-like solid, mixing proteins with certain chemical materials can spontaneously exhibit complex behaviors. Dr. Fraccia and Dr. Jia from the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at the Tokyo Institute of Technology have revealed that by altering environmental conditions such as salt concentration or temperature, various liquid crystal structures can be formed from double-stranded DNA and proteins.
The liquid crystal droplets, termed “liquid crystal coacervates,” formed by the aggregation of DNA and proteins via self-organization, has both the stability of solids and the functionality of liquids, suggesting involvement in the growth and evolution of biomolecules, which are the origin of life.
For more details, refer to the Tokyo Institute of Technology ELSI release.
