Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Autocatalysis, information and coding.

P R Wills1

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand. p.wills@auckland.ac.nz

Bio Systems
|April 28, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Studies of solute self-association by sedimentation equilibrium: allowance for effects of thermodynamic non-ideality beyond the consequences of nearest-neighbor interactions.

Biophysical chemistry·2001
Same author

Analysis of sedimentation equilibrium distributions reflecting nonideal macromolecular associations.

Biophysical journal·2000
Same author

Interpretation of thermodynamic non-ideality in sedimentation equilibrium experiments on proteins.

Biophysical chemistry·2000
Same author

Direct analysis of sedimentation equilibrium distributions reflecting complex formation between cytochrome c and ovalbumin.

Biochemical Society transactions·1999
Same author

Selection dynamics in autocatalytic systems: templates replicating through binary ligation.

Bulletin of mathematical biology·1998
Same author

Direct analysis of sedimentation equilibrium distributions reflecting complex formation between dissimilar reactants.

Biochemistry·1998
Same journal

The bridges evolution built: In search of mechanisms that couple scales of perception and action.

Bio Systems·2026
Same journal

Spatiotemporal bursting in simulated cultures of cortical neurons.

Bio Systems·2026
Same journal

A brief discussion on recent models shedding light on how life emerged.

Bio Systems·2026
Same journal

Memory-based strategy reputation and adaptive learning in spatial evolutionary games: A robust agent-based model for cooperation dynamics.

Bio Systems·2026
Same journal

Coherent Photonic Biofields: Revisiting Fritz-Albert Popp's Hypothesis.

Bio Systems·2026
Same journal

Ruliological Resilience: Pattern Restoration and Robustness in Wolfram Patterns. A Basis for Regeneration, Not Just in Cone Shells?

Bio Systems·2026
See all related articles

Autocatalytic self-organization enables macromolecular systems to build themselves through reflexive structure-function relationships. This process, observed in genetic sequences and prions, is key to the evolution of biological coding and information creation.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Systems Biology
  • Origin of Life Studies

Background:

  • Autocatalytic self-construction is fundamental for macromolecular systems.
  • Reflexivity, a link between structure and function, is crucial for self-synthesis.
  • Semiotic properties of catalytic structures are key to understanding self-organization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the role of reflexivity in autocatalytic self-construction.
  • To investigate the semiotic basis for the evolution of genetic coding.
  • To examine prions as models for early biological semiotics.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of formal and semiotic features of catalytic structure-function relationships.
  • Theoretical modeling of autocatalytic self-organization in populations of catalysts.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Comparative study of genetic sequences and prion replication.

    • Main Results:

    • Reflexivity in macromolecular systems depends on the embedding of catalytic functions within polymeric structures.
    • Certain genetic sequences exhibit reflexivity, providing a basis for coding evolution.
    • Autocatalytic selection drives differentiation and the creation of symbolic information.
    • Prions exemplify autocatalytic replication and biological semiotics.

    Conclusions:

    • Reflexivity is a critical semiotic property enabling autocatalytic self-construction and the emergence of coding.
    • Autocatalytic selection is a fundamental mechanism for information creation in early biochemical systems.
    • Prions offer insights into less obvious aspects of biological semiotics beyond genetic coding.