College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
Date of Last Revision
2023-05-06 11:38:08
Major
Biochemistry
Honors Course
CHEM:497
Number of Credits
2
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Fall 2022
Abstract
RNA being composed of multiple covalently linked nucleotides is thought to have been a precursor to life circa 4.3-3.8 billion years ago. Non-enzymatically formed adenosine monophosphate (AMP), more specifically, is a vitally important subtopic of the self-assembly of the first RNA sequence. The goal of this study was to synthesize AMP non-enzymatically under benign conditions that are likely to have existed on early Earth. In this experiment, 3’,5’-cAMP was successfully formed using wet-dry cycles at 80°C paired with the minerals zeolite beta, hydroxyapatite, and aerosil 300 in the presence of adenosine, urea, and pyrophosphate. A nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer was used to characterize the products of each experiment to determine if any adenosine nucleotides were formed. Decreasing the pH and having a higher number of wet-dry cycles results in a higher amount of cAMP formation.
Research Sponsor
Dr. Nita Sahai
First Reader
Dr. Richard Londraville
Second Reader
Dr. William Donovan
Honors Faculty Advisor
Dr. William Donovan
Proprietary and/or Confidential Information
No
Recommended Citation
Stimson, Ryan, "Synthesis of RNA Nucleotides under Probable Prebiotic Conditions" (2022). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1624.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1624
Included in
Biochemistry Commons, Biology Commons, Earth Sciences Commons, Polymer Chemistry Commons