Chemical Evolution II

From the Origins of Life to Modern Society

Edited by Lori Zaikowski, Jon Friedrich, and S. Russell Seidel

American Chemical Society

ACS Symposium Series

Provides up-to-date reviews and teaching resources that are not available in a single volume on this topic
The chapter on Prebiotic Organic Synthesis in Neutral Planetary Atmospheres has a controversial thesis, and was highlighted in Scientific American News online in March
Only book that seeks to integrate chemical evolution concepts and techniques into the curriculum

Chemical Evolution II

From the Origins of Life to Modern Society

Edited by Lori Zaikowski, Jon Friedrich, and S. Russell Seidel

American Chemical Society

Description

The book provides an exciting interwoven mosaic about the evolutionary nature of chemistry. It follows chemical evolution from the simplest elements formed in the Big Bang to the molecular diversity and complexity present today. Review chapters demonstrate the multidisciplinary use of chemical principles and techniques and how they are central to unraveling mysteries of the universe. In addition to giving concise and well-referenced reviews, the eminent authors include recent unpublished work. Instructors will find the book useful as a text or resource for teaching how chemistry has evolved over time and shaped our world.

The first three sections review chemical evolution in astrophysics, in the Solar System and Earth, and in prebiotic chemistry. The fourth section describes how these themes can be incorporated into the curriculum. It seeks to expand and integrate new approaches to chemistry into majors and non-majors courses, and to inspire the creation of new courses at the college and high school levels.

The book promotes our modern understanding of evolution and applications of chemistry, and will be appreciated by chemists, instructors and students of chemistry, and all others with an interest in the evolution of the universe in which we live.

Chemical Evolution II

From the Origins of Life to Modern Society

Edited by Lori Zaikowski, Jon Friedrich, and S. Russell Seidel

American Chemical Society

ACS Symposium Series

Preface
Introduction
1. Chemical Evolution: An Introduction
R.M. Hazen

Part I. Origins and Evolution of Life
2. The Origin of Biomolecules
H.J. Cleaves, and A. Lazcano
3. The Hydrothermal Source of Energy and Materials at the Origin of Life
M.J. Russell, and A.J. Hall
4. Energetics of Biomolecule Synthesis on Early Earth
J.P. Amend, and T.M. McCollom
5. Prebiotic Selection of the AT Base-Pair?
J.R. Quinn, S.C. Zimmerman, J.E. Del Bene, and I. Shavitt
6. Self-Assembly and the Origin of the First RNA-Like Polymers
H.D. Bean, D.G. Lynn, and N.V. Hud
7. Origin of Homochirality
M. Klussmann, and D.G. Blackmond
8. Surviving an Oxygen Atmosphere: DNA Damage and Repair
C.J. Burrows
9. Isotopes Illuminate Chemical Change: Boron Isotope pH Proxy
N.G. Hemming

Part II. Directed Chemical Evolution
10. The Evolution of Chemistry through Synthesis (and of Synthesis in Chemistry)
T.R.Hoye, and E.Sizova
11. The Role of Evolution in the Discovery of New Drugs and Chemicals
S.R. Rajski, and B. Shen
12. Molecular Machines: Natural and Artificial Molecular Motors
T.W. Bell, and J.I. Cline
13. Coordination-Driven Self-Assembly
S.R. Seidel, and L. Zaikowski
14. Fluorescent Responsive Probes for Oligonucleotide Detection
A.A. Marti, and N.J. Turro
15. Artificial Photosynthesis
J.T. Muckerman, E. Fujita
16. Chemical Evolution and Biomimetic Chemistry
C.J. Bender
17. Better Evolution through Chemistry: Rapid Evolution Driven by Human Changes to the Chemical Environment
S.R. Palumbi

Indexes
Author Index
Subject Index

Chemical Evolution II

From the Origins of Life to Modern Society

Edited by Lori Zaikowski, Jon Friedrich, and S. Russell Seidel

American Chemical Society

ACS Symposium Series

Author Information

Lori Zaikowski is Chemistry Department Chair at Dowling College and Associate Professor of Chemistry and Natural Sciences. At Brookhaven National Laboratory she conducts research on electron transfer processes on a Department of Energy FaST Fellowship funded by NSF. As Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, she teaches in the Environmental Science and Policy MPA Program.

Jon M. Friedrich is Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Fordham University and Research Associate in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the American Museum of Natural History. His research interests include analytical chemistry and cosmochemistry.

S. Russell Seidel is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Physics at Dowling College. His research focuses on the coordination-driven self-assembly of discrete and infinite molecular architectures, as well as the synthesis of multi-zonal crystalline systems. This work has resulted in multiple publications and presentations in the field. He is also active in undergraduate education, heading up a first year seminar program at Dowling College.