Contact: Jennifer A. Grasswick
jgrasswi@nsf.gov
703-292-4972
National Science Foundation

A New Way to Think About Earth's First Cells (1 of 3)

Caption: Fatty acids may have formed near hydrothermal vents. This animation shows a theoretical scenario in which fatty acids are formed on the surface of minerals deep underground and then brought to the surface by the eruption of a geyser.

Credit: Janet Iwasa, Szostak Laboratory, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital

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Related news release: A new way to think about Earth's first cells