Re: Article: Scientists propose the kind of chemistry that led to


"Perplexed in Peoria" <jimmenegay@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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"Tim Tyler" <seemysig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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This appears to be:

"Stochastic innovation as a mechanism by which catalysts might
self-assemble into chemical reaction networks"

Justin A. Bradford and Ken A. Dill

http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0703522104v1

AFAICT, it's Eigen's hypercycles - as popularised
by Kauffman as autocatalytic sets - all over again.

AFAICT, it is not even that coherent. I haven't read the paper, but
this bit from the press-release does not instill confidence:

In its simplest form, ... The process could go like this:
Catalyst A produces a chemical that catalyst B uses. Now, since B normally
seeks out this chemical, sometimes B will be attracted to A -- if its
desired chemical is not otherwise available nearby. As a result, A and B
will come into proximity, forming a complex.

Catalyst B normally 'seeks out' its substrate? Wow. That is one smart,
well motivated molecule!

One hopes this was metaphor. But metaphor for what??!!


If B binds to its substrate, the concentration of unattached B goes down
near high concentrations of A and diffusion restores it. As far as I can
tell, that is the basic content of the paper, which is available for free at
http://www.dillgroup.ucsf.edu/

In their computer model, all the reactions happen on a 2D surface in a 3D
liquid. I am not clear what difference that makes.

Graham






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