Title: Origins of life: How can bioinformatics help to understand them?

Speaker:  Jacek Blazewicz – Poznan University of Technology, Poland

Abstract: One of the most recognized hypotheses for the origins of life is the RNA world hypothesis. Laboratory experiments have been conducted to prove some assumptions of that hypothesis. However, despite some successes in the "wetlab" experiments, we are still far from a complete explanation. Bioinformatics, supported by operations research, appears to provide perfect tools to model and test various scenarios of the origins life where wetlab experiments cannot reflect the true complexity of the problem. Bioinformatics simulations of early preliving systems may give us clues to the mechanisms of evolution. Whether or not this approach succeeds is still an open question. However, it seems likely that linking efforts and knowledge from the various fields of science into a holistic perspective gives the opportunity to come one step closer to a solution to this question, which is one of the greatest mysteries of humanity. This paper illustrates some recent advancements in that area and points out possible directions for further research.

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