Photochemistry is an important facet in the study of the origin of life and prebiotic chemistry. Solar photons are the unique source of the large amounts of energy likely required to initiate the organisation of matter to produce biological life. The Miller–Urey experiment simulated the conditions thought to be present on the early earth and supported the hypothesis that under such conditions complex organic compounds could be synthesised from simpler inorganic precursors. The experiment inspired many others, including the production of various alcohols, aldehydes and organic acids through UV-photolysis of water vapour with carbon monoxide. This book covers the photochemical aspects of the study of prebiotic and origin of life chemistry an ideal companion for postgraduates and researchers in prebiotic chemistry, photochemistry, photobiology, chemical biology and astrochemistry.

Compiled by teams of leading authorities this Specialist Periodical Report on Photochemistry aims to provide an annual review of photo-induced processes.

Conflicting Models for the Origin of Life Conflicting Models for the Origin of Life provides a forum to compare and contrast the many hypotheses that have been put forward to explain the origin of life. There is a revolution brewing in the field of Origin of Life: in the process of trying to figure out how Life started, many researchers believe there is an impending second creation of life, not necessarily biological. Up-to-date understanding is needed to prepare us for the technological, and societal changes it would bring. Schrodinger’s 1944 “What is life?” included the insight of an information carrier, which inspired the discovery of the structure of DNA. In “Conflicting Models of the Origin of Life” a selection of the world’s experts are brought together to cover different aspects of the research: from progress towards synthetic life – artificial cells and sub-cellular components, to new definitions of life and the unexpected places life could (have) emerge(d). Chapters also cover fundamental questions of how memory could emerge from memoryless processes, and how we can tell if a molecule may have emerged from life. Similarly, cutting-edge research discusses plausible reactions for the emergence of life both on Earth and on exoplanets. Additional perspectives from geologists, philosophers and even roboticists thinking about the origin of life round out this volume. The text is a state-of-the-art snapshot of the latest developments on the emergence of life, to be used both in graduate classes and by citizen scientists. Audience Researchers in any area of astrobiology, as well as others interested in the origins of life, will find a modern and current review of the field and the current debates and obstacles. This book will clearly illustrate the current state-of-the-art and engage the imagination and creativity of experts across many disciplines.

Bioinorganic photochemistry is a rapidly evolving field integrating inorganic photochemistry with biological, medical and environmental sciences. The interactions of light with inorganic species in natural systems, and the applications in artificial systems of medical or environmental importance, form the basis of this challenging inter-disciplinary research area. Bioinorganic Photochemistry provides a comprehensive overview of the concepts and reactions fundamental to the field, illustrating important applications in biological, medical and environmental sciences. Topics covered include: Cosmic and environmental photochemistry Photochemistry of biologically relevant nanoassemblies Molecular aspects of photosynthesis Photoinduced electron transfer in biosystems Modern therapeutic strategies in photomedicine The book concludes with an outlook for the future of environmental protection, discussing emerging techniques in the field of pollution abatement, and the potential for bioinorganic photochemistry as a pathway to developing cheap, environmentally friendly sources of energy. Written as an authoritative guide for researchers involved in the development of bioinorganic photochemical processes, Bioinorganic Photochemistry is also accessible to scientists new to the field, and will be a key reference source for advanced courses in inorganic, and bioinorganic chemistry.

Annotation 'Photochemistry' reviews photo-induced processes that have relevance to the wide-ranging academic and commercial disciplines, and interests in chemistry, physics, biology and technology.

Now in its third edition the Encyclopedia of Astrobiology serves as the key to a common understanding in the extremely interdisciplinary community of astrobiologists. Each new or experienced researcher and graduate student in adjacent fields of astrobiology will appreciate this reference work in the quest to understand the big picture. The carefully selected group of active researchers contributing to this work are aiming to give a comprehensive international perspective on and to accelerate the interdisciplinary advance of astrobiology. The interdisciplinary field of astrobiology constitutes a joint arena where provocative discoveries are coalescing concerning, e.g. the prevalence of exoplanets, the diversity and hardiness of life, and its chances for emergence. Biologists, astrophysicists, (bio)-chemists, geoscientists and space scientists share this exciting mission of revealing the origin and commonality of life in the Universe. With its overview articles and its definitions the Encyclopedia of Astrobiology not only provides a common language and understanding for the members of the different disciplines but also serves for educating a new generation of young astrobiologists who are no longer separated by the jargon of individual scientific disciplines. This new edition offers ~170 new entries. More than half of the existing entries were updated, expanded or supplemented with figures supporting the understanding of the text. Especially in the fields of astrochemistry and terrestrial extremophiles but also in exoplanets and space sciences in general there is a huge body of new results that have been taken into account in this new edition. Because the entries in the Encyclopedia are in alphabetical order without regard for scientific field, this edition includes a section “Astrobiology by Discipline” which lists the entries by scientific field and subfield. This should be particularly helpful to those enquiring about astrobiology, as it illustrates the broad and detailed nature of the field.

Induction of DNA damage by sunlight is a major deleterious event in living organisms. Recent developments have dramatically improved our understanding of the photochemical processes involved at the sub-picosecond time scale and along with next generation sequencing and data processing has generated a need for a complete up-to-date coverage of the field. Written in an accessible and comprehensive manner, DNA Photodamage will appeal to all scientists working in the area whether specialists in the discipline or not and provides a complete coverage of the field, from ultrafast spectroscopy to biomedical research. Bridging the gap between photophysical and photochemical research on model systems, and in vivo and in vitro biological studies, this book aims to identify the most important research trends in the field and review their major findings.

The Photochemistry of Atmospheres: Earth, the Other Planets, and Comets discusses the photochemical and chemical processes in atmospheres This book focuses on the earth's atmosphere in the past, present, and future, atmospheres of other planets and their satellites, and comets. General topics in atmospheric photochemistry, such as composition and structure, transfer of incoming solar radiation, and principles governing the rates of photochemical and chemical processes are also elaborated. This text also covers the role of eddy and molecular transport and continuity-transport equation used in theoretical numerical modeling studies. This publication is recommended for advanced-level courses in the atmospheric and planetary sciences, as well as reference for those interested in learning about atmospheric/climatic environmental problems, their causes and consequences, and discoveries concerning the atmospheres of neighboring worlds.

Mineralogy includes thirteen chapters that discuss the methodology of specific mineralogical methods, the composition of minerals from different igneous rocks, and the composition of minerals from different sedimentary rocks.It contains detailed mineralogical studies from Africa, Asia, and Europe. Chapters present different scientific mineralogical methods and detailed descriptions of minerals from different magmatic and sedimentary rocks.

This volume is a record of the 6th International Conference on the Origins of Life and the 3rd Meeting of the International Society for the Study of the Origins of Life. The conference was held under the auspices of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities at Jerusalem from June 22nd to June 27th 1980. A few weeks prior to the conference, Academician Aleksander Ivanovich Oparin passed away. Oparin, the father and founder of the study of the origins of life, proposed over 50 years ago that modern biological molecules had abidogical origins in the past, thus the beginning of life on Earth was preceded by a long period of abiogenic molecular evolution. Oparin was planning to report on his latest work in the opening session of the meeting - "Natural Selection: A Leading Factor in Transition from the Non-Living Matter to Life". This lecture will never be delivered. In Hebrew we say of those who have died "may their memory be bound with the bonds of eternal life". For Aleksander Ivanovich Oparin those words have particular significance, for surely his pioneering work will endure as long as the spirit of scientific enquiry prevails. This meeting was dedicated to the memory of Aleksander Ivanovich Oparin.