European project COST, website

Project duration: 05/2014 - 12/2016

Principal investigator: RNDr. Oliver Štrbák, PhD.

The COST Action addresses three basic questions that fascinate and intrigue scientists, and the general public alike, questions that are pivotal to our understanding and appreciation of our place in the universe. Where, when and how did life emerge and evolve on Earth? What are the conditions under which life can exist? Does life exist elsewhere in the Universe and, if it does, how can it be detected and identified?

As the members of the working group „WG2 Astrochemistry", we focus on the study of ions flow through the primitive forms of biological membranes. We are looking for a possible link between passive and active ions flux, and transition from chemical processes to biological evolution. We use proton gradient as a model system, which we assume that it was one of the first passive flow of ions in primitive biological membranes. The research results will be published in the working group „WG7-outreach". We also closely collaborate with the University of Vienna, where we study archea cultivated on Martian soils, in order to find a suitable chemical markers that could find application in search for traces of life during next missions to Mars.  

Publication:

ŠTRBÁK, Oliver - KAŇUCHOVÁ, Z. - KRAFČÍK, Andrej. Proton gradients as a key physical factor in the evolution of the forced transport mechanism across the lipid membrane. In Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres. Accepted for publication.