Shaping early life: primitive compartments, primitive cells

The complexity of modern biochemistry suggests that a systems biochemistry approach is required to understand and potentially recapitulate the network of prebiotic reactions that led to the emergence of life. Early cells probably relied upon interconnected chemistries to link nucleic acids, peptide-based catalysts and membranes. In this context, I will discuss our recent advancements about:

· what, how and when membrane-based and membrane-less compartments appeared on early Earth; and

· what functions these primitive compartments could exhibit.

Addressing these points can help us to elucidate the prebiotic pathways that led to the emergence of functional primitive cells and, from there, the rise of life as we know it.