ESCHER - Extra-terreStrial prebiotic CHEmistRy

The question on the origin of life is more than ever under the spotlight now that new telescopes allow scientists to detect biosignatures on exoplanets – planets outside our solar system. However, the analysis and interpretation of these detections in terms of chemical and biological evolution heavily depends on our ability to understand how simple molecular units build larger macromolecular units and get (self-) organized under extraterrestrial circumstances. Mineral surfaces are thought to play a crucial factor, not only as catalysts for gas-phase reactions, but also as templates imprinting their structure onto available building units. The goal of this interdisciplinary ID-N ESCHER project is to address the role and impact of solid-state surfaces on (extra)terrestrial prebiotic chemistry. This challenge is pursued in a holistic way by combining and merging expertise from astrophysics, quantum-chemical theory, and physico-chemical experiments. We have the aspiration that the results will reach society in all its diversity, and with this goal in mind, an active arts-science collaboration will be built.

Keywords:(exo)planets, prebiotic chemistry, (macro)molecules, arts-sciences, supramolecular self-assembly, interfaces

Disciplines:Stellar astrophysics, Solar systems and exoplanets, Surface and interface chemistry, Structural analysis, Supramolecular chemistry