Development of a cellular emergence model: A model revealing the process by which matters become life

[Research summary]

1. Can we create life (cells) by combining simple chemical reactions? We are exploring a fundamental question in science.

2. Utilizing Ishida’s cellular automaton model [3], which generates various biological movements, and replacing the transition rules with 15 types of molecular reactions and 2 types of polymerized molecules, a phenomenon emerged where a cell-like aggregate of polymerized molecules forms and divides into cells, solely through the processes of “diffusion,” “reaction,” and “polymerization” of virtual molecules (The red area in Fig. 1 represents a self-assembled mass of polymerized molecules, which spontaneously divides) [1].

3. Moreover, by hypothesizing that the molecular arrangement of polymerized molecules constitutes genetic information and mapping it to the rate of energy production, it was demonstrated that cells with higher energy efficiency exhibit a greater evolutionary capacity for survival [2].

4. If equivalent chemical reactions could be replicated in a test tube, could we not create life? Furthermore, this model could be applied to the self-organized formation of nano/micro robots.

Fig.1 Emergence of cell shape by a multi-set chemical lattice model (Red area indicates an accumulation of polymerized molecules).

[Source]

[1] Takeshi Ishida, Simulation of the emergence of cell‑like morphologies with evolutionary potential based on virtual molecular interactions, Scientific Reports (2024) 14:2086
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52475-9

[2] Takeshi Ishida, Emergence Simulation of Biological Cell-like Shapes Satisfying the Conditions of Life Using a Lattice-Type Multiset Chemical Model Conditions of Life Using a Lattice-Type Multiset Chemical Model, LIFE, 2022, 12(10), 1580.
https://doi.org/10.3390/life12101580

[3] Takeshi Ishida, Possibility of Controlling Self-Organized Patterns with Totalistic Cellular Automata Consisting of Both Rules like Game of Life and Rules Producing Turing Patterns, Micromachines, 9(7), 339,18pages, 2018, https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9070339