Front Cover: Complex Coacervation and Compartmentalized Conversion of Prebiotically Relevant Metabolites (ChemSystemsChem 4/2022)

Abstract

The Front Cover shows a light microscopy image of metabolite coacervates. A graphic representation of a metabolic network is projected over the coacervate protocells, containing illustrations that depict different steps in the emergence of life on Earth. Small molecules react to form more complex molecules, which eventually partake in reaction networks. This work shows how metabolites present in these early networks are able to phase separate and form stable coacervate droplets. The coacervates are able to compartmentalize metabolites and increase reaction rates, providing an attractive model for the first generation of protocells. More information can be found in the Research Article by Evan Spruijt and co-workers.