Chicago Center for the Origins of Life
The Chicago Center for the Origins of Life is dedicated to supporting interdisciplinary scientific inquiry into the fundamental question of how life began on early Earth and whether it exists elsewhere in the universe.
Founded in 2022, the Center for the Origins of Life is composed of faculty, researchers, and students from the departments of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Chemistry, Geophysical Sciences, and Physics, who engage in a multimodal exploration of questions such as:
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What processes govern the formation of planets with the capacity to give rise to life?
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What local environments and geologic setting enabled the synthesis of the building blocks of life?
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How did the first protocells assemble and replicate?
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How can we best search for life beyond Earth?
The Center fosters a vibrant intellectual community by hosting formal and informal activities including chalk talks by its members, seminars by invited speakers, and extended visits by scientists from across the globe. It also supports early career scientists carrying out interdisciplinary research via postdoctoral and graduate student fellowships. As a founding member of the Origins Federation, a collaboration with other universities, the Center organizes and runs an annual conference that brings together scholars from around the world for discussion, brainstorming, and presentation of new theories to advance our understanding of the origins of life.
Visit the Center for the Origins of Life website