| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/M025241/1 |
| Title: |
Direct observation and characterisation of physical autocatalysis by interferometric scattering microscopy |
| Principal Investigator: |
Fletcher, Professor SP |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Oxford Chemistry |
| Organisation: |
University of Oxford |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research |
| Starts: |
01 August 2015 |
Ends: |
31 July 2018 |
Value (£): |
580,471
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Catalysis & Applied Catalysis |
Chemical Biology |
| Physical Organic Chemistry |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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| Related Grants: |
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| Panel History: |
| Panel Date | Panel Name | Outcome |
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12 Feb 2015
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EPSRC Physical Sciences Chemistry - February 2015
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Announced
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
Autocatalytic chemical reactions have been extensively studied with the aim of providing insight into the principles underlying living systems. In biology, organisms can be thought of as imperfect self-replicators, which produce closely related species, allowing for selection and evolution. Autocatalysis is also an important part of many other biological processes.
This project aims to develop new autocatalytic reactions where two simple chemical building blocks come together to give a more complex product, and then the product aggregates to give primitive cell-like structures or "protocells" such as micelles or vesicles. The protocells allow the starting materials to mix more efficiently, speeding up the reaction in time and giving rise to complex behaviour of the protocells. A new ultra sensitive microscope will be used to monitor the formation and dynamics of the protocells in real time. These reactions will serve as model systems which we hope will contribute to understanding how complex cell-like systems can emerge from much simpler chemical components and may be relevant to understanding the principles of how life started on earth.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.ox.ac.uk |