Overview

• Scientists have long debated whether life began in deep-sea hydrothermal vents or on land, and new findings highlight the potential role of ancient hot springs.
• The study demonstrates that iron sulfides, minerals found in hot springs, can catalyze carbon fixation, converting carbon dioxide into organic molecules essential for life.
• Experiments simulating early Earth's hot spring conditions showed methanol production increased with sunlight, higher temperatures, and water vapor, suggesting these factors were crucial in prebiotic chemistry.
• The chemical processes observed in hot springs mimic ancient biological pathways, such as the acetyl-CoA pathway, thought to be one of the first mechanisms of carbon fixation in living organisms.
• This research broadens the scope of environments where life could have originated, showing similarities between conditions in land-based hot springs and deep-sea hydrothermal vents.