The Origin of Life with Prof Nick Lane

Prof Nick Lane, Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry at University College London, joined us this week in the Great Hall to share his theory on one of the most profound questions in science, what is the origin of life? 

Cells are known as the building blocks of life, but how did these, the smallest functional unit of life, evolve? There are different theories on how simple chemicals may have assembled into simple cells.  

Prof. Lane shared his research on how deep-sea thermal vents could have been the driver for life. Using the Krebs Cycle, he shared some of the findings in his lab with our students. 

The similarities in the typology of the earth and a cell, and how planet Earth compares to other planets in its ability to support the processes that gave rise to life were also explored. 

A fascinating presentation by Dr Nick Lane. His words or wisdom to our budding scientist, is that you may never really know the answer to the question you set out research, but the ‘enjoyment of science is in the journey to find the answer!’