FROM | Formose Reactions on Microdroplets (FROM)

Summary
I propose to examine the importance of water microdroplets sprayed from geysers as a reaction medium in prebiotic chemistry, with the goal of providing evidence for CO2-reduction to formaldehyde and following synthesis of carbohydrates from formaldehyde via the formose reaction. Water microdroplets have recently been proven to be a unique reaction medium, but the importance of microdroplets for the origins of life remains largely unexplored. This fellowship application proposes geysers as a catalyst for synthesis of complex organic molecules at the origin of life – a new hypothesis which has previously not been explored. This is a high risk, high gain proposal and the new scientific skills obtained during the fellowship will be highly valuable for a research career at the interface of organic synthesis and microdroplet chemistry. The project will be carried out over two years with Prof. Michael Pittelkow at the University of Copenhagen where all synthetic chemistry, kinetic experiments and characterization of products will be performed.
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Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101149300
Start date: 01-09-2025
End date: 31-08-2027
Total budget - Public funding: - 230 774,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

I propose to examine the importance of water microdroplets sprayed from geysers as a reaction medium in prebiotic chemistry, with the goal of providing evidence for CO2-reduction to formaldehyde and following synthesis of carbohydrates from formaldehyde via the formose reaction. Water microdroplets have recently been proven to be a unique reaction medium, but the importance of microdroplets for the origins of life remains largely unexplored. This fellowship application proposes geysers as a catalyst for synthesis of complex organic molecules at the origin of life – a new hypothesis which has previously not been explored. This is a high risk, high gain proposal and the new scientific skills obtained during the fellowship will be highly valuable for a research career at the interface of organic synthesis and microdroplet chemistry. The project will be carried out over two years with Prof. Michael Pittelkow at the University of Copenhagen where all synthetic chemistry, kinetic experiments and characterization of products will be performed.

Status

SIGNED

Call topic

HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01-01

Update Date

22-11-2024
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Horizon Europe
HORIZON.1 Excellent Science
HORIZON.1.2 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
HORIZON.1.2.0 Cross-cutting call topics
HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01-01 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023