SKM 2023 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 11: Poster Session I

BP 11.31: Poster

Dienstag, 28. März 2023, 12:30–15:30, P1

(De)hydration can speed up chemical process — Ivar Haugerud, •Pranay Jaiswal, and Christoph Weber — Mesoscopic Physics of Life, Institute of Physics, Universitätsstr. 1, Augsburg, Germany

Under early earth conditions, wet-dry cycles and phase separated droplets are separately believed to facilitate chemical processes. Recent experimental studies suggest that chemical reactions can accelerate when subject to non-equilibrium conditions of hydration or dehydration. We develop a theoretical model studying the interplay between wet-dry cycles, phase separation, and chemical processes. We find that hydration and dehydration can significantly increase chemical reaction rates and are further magnified with increasing oscillation amplitudes. Repeated cycles keep the system out of equilibrium, allowing for persistent chemical activity. Furthermore, resonance behaviour in the cycle frequency maximizes the chemical turnover. Our findings show under what conditions the physics of wet-dry cycles could have accelerated chemical reactions in prebiotic soups, similar to enzymes in living cells.