Biomolecule synthesis driven by electricity at deep-sea hydrothermal vent 

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents harvest energy from the chemical potential gradient created by the interaction of hot, reductive hydrothermal fluids and cold, oxidative seawater. Leveraging our expertise in electrochemistry and materials science, we proposed in 2010 that hydrothermal vents function as "electrochemical fuel cells" that interconvert chemical, thermal, and electrical energy. This model was subsequently validated by on-site electrochemical experiments conducted at a depth of 1070 meters. These findings have inspired hypotheses about novel biological and prebiotic reactions for carbon and nitrogen fixation on both modern and ancient Earth. In this project, we will use electrochemical and microfluidic reactors to replicate deep-sea energy production and test our hypothesis of electricity-driven biomolecule synthesis, including amino aides, peptides, and nucleobases - potentially a critical step in understanding the emergence of primitive life. 

地球をエネルギーとした発電システム

深海熱水噴出孔（チムニー）は、地球内部に蓄えられた還元力と酸化的な海水が作り出す化学ポテンシャル勾配をエネルギー源とした「天然の巨大電池」である。本課題では、最先端の分析手法を用いてチムニーが持つ未知の機能を明らかにします。そして、マイクロ流路リアクターを用いることで深海発電現象を再現し、原始生命誕生に向けた第一歩であるCO2を基質とした生体分子の合成に挑みます。