The Planet Simulator, also known as a Planetary Simulator, is a climate-controlled simulation chamber designed to study the origin of life. The device was announced by researchers at McMaster University on behalf of the Origins Institute on 4 October 2018.[1][2][3][4][5] The simulator project begun in 2012 and was funded with $1 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario government, and McMaster University. It was built and manufactured by Angstrom Engineering Inc of Kitchener, Ontario.[1][5]

The device was designed and developed by biophysicist Maikel Rheinstadter and co-principal investigators biochemist Yingfu Li and astrophysicist Ralph Pudritz for researchers to study a theory that suggests life on early Earth began in "warm little ponds" rather than in deep ocean vents nearly four billion years ago.[3] The device can recreate conditions of the primitive Earth to see whether cellular life can be created, and then later, evolve.[3]

In an 2018 news release, Maikel Rheinstadter stated: "We want to understand how the first living cell was formed - how the Earth moved from a chemical world to a biological world."[2]

The Planet Simulator can mimic the environmental conditions consistent on the early Earth and other astronomical bodies, including other planets and exoplanets[3] by controlling temperature, humidity, pressure, atmosphere and radiation levels within the simulation chamber.[2]

Observations

According to researchers, preliminary tests with the simulator, under possible conditions of the early Earth, created protocells: cells which are not living but very important nonetheless.[3] According to biologist David Deamer, the device is a game changer, and the cells produced so far are "significant". The "cells are not alive, but are evolutionary steps toward a living system of molecules ... [the simulator] opens up a lot of experimental activities that were literally impossible before.”[3] Based on initial tests with the new simulator technology, project director Rheinstadter stated that it "seems that the formation of life is probably a relatively frequent process in the universe".[5]

References

  1. 1 2 Balch, Erica (4 October 2018). "Ground-breaking lab poised to unlock the mystery of the origins of life on Earth and beyond". McMaster University. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Staff (4 October 2018). "Ground-breaking lab poised to unlock the mystery of the origins of life". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Casey, Liam (4 October 2018). "McMaster University researchers testing origins of life theory in new planet simulator". Global News. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  4. ↑ Staff (2018). "Planet Simulator". IntraVisionGroup.com. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 Chung, Emily (5 October 2018). "Canadian researchers use new 'planet simulator' to probe origins of life - 'Life is probably a relatively frequent process in the universe' new experiments suggests". CBC News. Retrieved 14 October 2018.


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