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Origins of Life: Transition from Geochemistry to Biogeochemistry December 2016 Volume 12, Number 6 ISSN 1811-5209 Origins of Life: Transition from Geochemistry to Biogeochemistry NITA SAHAI and HUSSEIN KADDOUR, Guest Editors Transition from Geochemistry to Biogeochemistry Staging Life: Warm Seltzer Ocean Incubating Life: Prebiotic Sources Foundation Stones to Life Prebiotic Metal-Organic Catalysts Protometabolism and Early Protocells pub_elements_oct16_1300&icpms_Mise en page 1 13-Sep-16 3:39 PM Page 1 Reproducibility High Resolution igh spatial H Resolution High mass The New Generation Ion Microprobe for Path-breaking Advances in Geoscience U-Pb dating in 91500 zircon, RF-plasma O- source Addressing the growing demand for small scale, high resolution, in situ isotopic measurements at high precision and productivity, CAMECA introduces the IMS 1300-HR³, successor of the internationally acclaimed IMS 1280-HR, and KLEORA which is derived from the IMS 1300-HR³ and is fully optimized for advanced U-Th-Pb mineral dating. • New high brightness RF-plasma ion source greatly improving spatial resolution, reproducibility and throughput • New automated sample loading system with motorized sample height adjustment, significantly increasing analysis precision, ease-of-use and productivity • New UV-light microscope for enhanced optical image resolution (developed by University of Wisconsin, USA) ... and more! Visit www.cameca.com or email [email protected] to request IMS 1300-HR³ and KLEORA product brochures. Laser-Ablation ICP-MS ~ now with CAMECA ~ The Attom ES provides speed and sensitivity optimized for the most demanding LA-ICP-MS applications. Corr. Pb 207-206 - U (238) Recent advances in laser ablation technology have improved signal 2SE error per sample - Pb (206) Combined samples 0.076121 +/- 0.002345 - Pb (207) to background ratios and washout times. The Nu Attom ES ICP-MS (2SD limits) - Pb (208) has been developed in consultation with our laser ablation ICP-MS Zircon 91500. Isotope ratios from users to provide a tailored instrument for quantitative and isotope individual single shots. 15 sites using 20 shots at each site. ratio laser ablation applications. 8.9 9.9 10.9 11.9 12.9 Time, seconds • Class leading sensitivity for laser ablation using ES plasma interface 0.082 • 50µs mass jump settling times to improve isotope ratio precision 0.080 0.078 • Up to 9 full mass spectra per second for quantitative analysis 0.076 Isotope ratio • Flexible Nu Quant data processing and reporting 0.074 More information at http://nu-ins.com/attom/ 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Samples www.cameca.com • [email protected] Elements is published jointly by the Mineralogical Volume 12, Number 6 • December 2016 COVER IMAGE: Two protocells Society of America, the Mineralogical Society interacting with organic of Great Britain and Ireland, the Mineralogical molecules and minerals Association of Canada, the Geochemical Society, in their environment. the Clay Minerals Society, the European Origins of Life: Transition from Nucleotides and an Association of Geochemistry, the Inter national unstructured RNA substrate Association of GeoChemistry, the Société (magenta); amino acids and Française de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie, Geochemistry to Biogeochemistry peptides (green), an amino the Association of Applied Geochemists, acid-nucleotide (alanine- the Deutsche Mineralogische Gesellschaft, Guest Editors: Nita Sahai and Hussein Kaddour the Società Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrologia, adenylate) complex (blue), the International Association of Geoanalysts, and pyrite (iron, gray; the Polskie Towarzystwo Mineralogiczne The Transition from Geochemistry sulfur, yellow) are shown. (Mineralogical Society of Poland), the Sociedad 389 to Biogeochemistry Structured ribozymes and a RNA-peptide complex Española de Mineralogía, the Swiss Society of Nita Sahai, Hussein Kaddour, and Punam Dalai Mineralogy and Petrology, the Meteoritical are present within the Society, and the Japan Association of Mineralogical protocells as well as an Sciences. It is provided as a benefit to members iron/sulfur cluster-protein of these societies. complex. IMAGE CREDITS: Elements is published six times a year. Individuals Staging Life in an Early Warm PROTOCELLS picTURES COURTESY OF are encouraged to join any one of the partici­ 395 MATTHIEU CHAVENT pating societies to receive Elements. Institutional ‘Seltzer’ Ocean (WWW.MATTHIEUCHAVENT.COM/ subscribers to any of the following journals— Martin Schoonen and Alexander Smirnov PHOTOS/) FROM SYMA KHALID’S American Mineralogist, Clay Minerals, Clays and LAB. COVER IMAGE DESIGNED AND Clay Minerals, Mineralogical Magazine, and The Incubating Life: Prebiotic Sources ASSEMBLED BY FABRicE LECLERC. Canadian Miner alogist—also receive one copy © FABRicE LECLERC of Elements as part of their 2016 subscription. 401 of Organics for the Origin of Life Institu tional subscriptions are available for Punam Dalai, Hussein Kaddour, and Nita Sahai US$165 (US$180 non­US addresses) a year in 2016. Contact the executive editor (jrosso. [email protected]) for information. From Foundation Stones to Life: Concepts and Results Copyright 2016 by the Mineralogical Society 407 Marie-Christine Maurel and Fabrice Leclerc of America All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form, including translation to other languages, or by On the Emergence of a Proto-metabolism any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, 413 including photocopying or information storage and the Assembly of Early Protocells and retrieval systems—without written permission Luca Belmonte and Sheref S. Mansy from the copyright holder is strictly prohibited. Publications mail agreement no. 40037944 Status and Prospects for Quasi-Non-Destructive Analysis Printed in USA 419 of Ancient Artefacts via LA–ICP–MS ISSN 1811­5209 (print) Terence P. Kee and Pierre-Alain Monnard ISSN 1811­5217 (online) www.elementsmagazine.org www.elements. geoscienceworld.org DEPARTMENTS Editorial – Something Old is Something New ............ 379 From the Editors .................................. 380 2017 Thematic Preview ........................... 382 Meet the Authors ................................. 385 People in the News – Wendy Bohrson, Donald Dingwell, Barb Dutrow, David Vaughan ....................... 386 Society News European Association of Geochemistry ................ 426 Association of Applied Geochemists .................. 428 Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland ....... 429 Mineralogical Society of America .................... 430 Deutsche Mineralogische Gesellschaft ................ 432 Japan Association of Mineralogical Sciences ........... 434 Association Internationale pour l’Étude des Argiles ....... 435 Meteoritical Society .............................. 436 Geochemical Society .............................. 438 Sociedad Española de Mineralogía ................... 439 Mineralogical Association of Canada ................. 440 Société Française de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie ... 441 Clay Minerals Society ............................. 442 Meeting Report – 2nd European Mineralogical Conference (emc2016) ....................................... 443 Meeting Report – 4th International Workshop on Highly Siderophile Element Geochemistry ...................446 Calendar ......................................... 447 Advertisers in this Issue ........................... 447 377 PARTICIPATING SOCIETIES The Mineralogical The Geochemical Society interests of exploration geochemists, facili­ SOCIETY NEWS EDITOR: Zbigniew Sawłowicz Society of America is for (GS) is an international tate the acquisition and distribution of ([email protected]) scientific knowledge, promote the exchange individuals interested in organization founded in Mineralogical Society of Poland of information, and encourage research and mineralogy, crystallography, 1955 for students and Al. Mickiewicza 30, development. AAG membership includes petrology, and geochem­ scientists involved in the 30-059 Kraków, Poland the AAG journal, istry. Founded in 1919, the practice, study, and teaching Geochemistry: Exploration, Tel./fax: +48 12 6334330 ; the AAG newsletter, Society promotes, through of geochemistry. Our Environment, Analysis [email protected] www.ptmin.pl research, education, and publications, the programs include cohosting the annual EXPLORE; and Elements. TM The Sociedad Española understanding and application of miner­ Goldschmidt Conference , editorial over­ OCIETY EWS DITOR Dennis Arne S N E : de Mineralogía (Spanish alogy by industry, universities, government, sight of Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta ([email protected]) and the public. Membership benefits include (GCA), supporting geochemical symposia Mineralogical Society) was Elements magazine, access to the electronic through our Meeting Assistance Program, Association of Applied Geochemists founded in 1975 to promote version of the American Mineralogist, as well and supporting student development P.O. Box 26099 research in mineralogy, as discounts on journals, Reviews in Miner­ through our Student Travel Grant Program. Nepean, ON K2H 9R0, Canada petrology, and geochem­ alogy & Geochemistry series, textbooks, GS annually recognizes excellence in Tel.: 613-828-0199; fax: 613-828-9288 istry. The society organizes monographs, reduced registration fees for geochemistry through its medals, lectures, [email protected] annual conferences and furthers the training meetings and short courses, and participa­ and awards. Members receive a subscription www.appliedgeochemists.org of young researchers via seminars and tion
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