Lactic acid (LA), likely abundant on early Earth, can polymerize into polyesters and assemble into membraneless microdroplets (MMDs). However, how the harsh conditions of early Earth could have affected primitive LA polymerization and subsequent MMD assembly is unclear. In this study, we probed the effect of salinity, reaction volume, and reaction concentration on primitive LA polymerization and subsequent MMD assembly, and find that early Earth’s harsh environmental conditions could have still supported the formation of LA-based MMD protocells in a variety of settings.
- Mahendran Sithamparam
- Ming-Jing He
- Kuhan Chandru
