CREATING LIFE OUT OF OIL

摘要

Ifs not just primitive cells that can divide and reproduce - oil can too. Martin Hanczyc of the University of Southern Denmark previously found that nitrobenzene droplets can move around powered by chemicals in their environment - in effect, powered by "food". But they did not reproduce or pass on genes. He has now given them an upgrade so they can reproduce. The new droplets have a surfactant -which reduces the surface tension of liquids - with a positive charge. Placed in a liquid containing a negatively charged surfactant the two surfactants attract each other at the droplet boundary, causing it to divide. Adding salt makes them fuse.