Asia Research News 2021

Page 36

PEOPLE Credit: N. Escanlar, ELSI

Specially-Appointed Assistant Professor Tony Z. Jia

EARLY EARTH DROPLETS AND THE ORIGINS OF LIFE Tony Z. Jia is a specially-appointed assistant professor and lab manager at Japan’s Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), based at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. He is an astrobiologist and shared highlights from his dual research/management role. Q: What is astrobiology and what is your specialized area of interest in this field? A: Astrobiology investigates the origin

ASIA RE SEA RC H N EWS

and evolution of planets, life, and life on Earth and in the universe. It encompasses many fields, including astronomy, planetary science, geology, chemistry, biology and more. Anyone in almost any field can contribute to astrobiology! My research is lab-based. We simulate processes that aim to reveal the origins of life on Earth, which could help us detect life elsewhere in the universe. Our laboratory simulations utilize the processes and chemicals that were likely present on early Earth to learn how they assembled into compartments that might have resembled the first cells. Specifically, we study the formation of membraneless droplets, which are similar in structure to the non-membrane-

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bound organelles in modern cells, like stress granules and the nucleolus. We investigate what these membraneless droplets might have been composed of, and if they can encapsulate other molecules and perform other functions, like growth and division.

Q: What have been your most exciting scientific findings so far? A: We have observed two completely

novel systems that assemble into membraneless droplets that could be relevant as prebiotic compartments. First, we found that drying alpha hydroxyacid monomers leads to the synthesis of polyesters and rehydrating these polyesters results in the assembly of droplets that can encapsulate or interact with nucleic acids, proteins and lipids. The term polyester often brings to mind textiles or materials, but we believe that

Further Specially-Appointed Assistant Professor Tony Z. Jia | tzjia@elsi.jp information Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) - Tokyo Institute of Technology World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)

their potentially easy synthesis in prebiotic environments and their ability to form compartments with primitive functions shows their relevance to the origins of life and astrobiology. Second, we have shown that DNA liquid crystals can assemble within membraneless droplets composed of peptides and nucleic acids. Again, most people think screens and displays when they hear the term liquid crystals, but they could have been important for the origins of life!

Q: What does your lab look like? A: ELSI is very unique. Rather than a

hierarchical system, where a principal investigator is in charge of many students and postdocs, ELSI operates in a more flat or hybrid system, with more independent researchers. Most researchers work in a number of different labs at ELSI. Much of my research takes place


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Welcome to the 2021 edition of Asia Research News article cover image
Welcome to the 2021 edition of Asia Research News
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page 5
DEEP OCEAN IN DEEP TROUBLE article cover image
DEEP OCEAN IN DEEP TROUBLE
4min
pages 6-7
MACHINE LEARNING PREDICTS STRUCTURAL CORROSION article cover image
MACHINE LEARNING PREDICTS STRUCTURAL CORROSION
3min
pages 8-9
ELECTRICITY GENERATED DROP BY DROP article cover image
ELECTRICITY GENERATED DROP BY DROP
3min
pages 10-11
RARE ACCESS REVEALS EAST ANTARCTIC MELTING HOTSPOT article cover image
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3min
pages 12-13
WHEN EVOLUTIONARY TREES GET FROGGY article cover image
WHEN EVOLUTIONARY TREES GET FROGGY
3min
pages 14-15
BRINGING THE GREEN REVOLUTION TO ELECTRONICS article cover image
BRINGING THE GREEN REVOLUTION TO ELECTRONICS
3min
page 16
AI HELPS DESIGN NEW ALLOYS MADE TO ORDER article cover image
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page 17
ELASTOMERS DEVELOP STRONGER BONDS OF ATTACHMENT article cover image
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3min
page 18
MANUFACTURING MADE EASY WITH ONE-STEP PRINTING article cover image
MANUFACTURING MADE EASY WITH ONE-STEP PRINTING
3min
page 19
PUTTING A SPIN ON HEUSLER ALLOYS article cover image
PUTTING A SPIN ON HEUSLER ALLOYS
3min
pages 20-21
SELF-HEALING GELS COULD POWER FUTURE ELECTRONICS article cover image
SELF-HEALING GELS COULD POWER FUTURE ELECTRONICS
3min
page 22
GAINING MORE CONTROL OVER FUEL CELL MEMBRANES article cover image
GAINING MORE CONTROL OVER FUEL CELL MEMBRANES
3min
page 23
THE PERFECT ANGLE FOR E-SKIN ENERGY STORAGE article cover image
THE PERFECT ANGLE FOR E-SKIN ENERGY STORAGE
3min
page 26
A FAST SPIN TEST FOR URINARY TRACT INFECTION article cover image
A FAST SPIN TEST FOR URINARY TRACT INFECTION
3min
page 27
MAGNETIC SPRAY TRANSFORMS OBJECTS INTO MILLIROBOTS article cover image
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3min
pages 28-29
MONITORING MALARIA PARASITE POPULATIONS IN MALAYSIAN BORNEO article cover image
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3min
pages 30-31
WATCHING DNA STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN REAL TIME article cover image
WATCHING DNA STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN REAL TIME
3min
page 32
ATMOSPHERIC TIDAL WAVES MAINTAIN VENUS’S SUPER-ROTATION article cover image
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3min
pages 34-35
EARLY EARTH DROPLETS AND THE ORIGINS OF LIFE article cover image
EARLY EARTH DROPLETS AND THE ORIGINS OF LIFE
5min
pages 36-37
THE VIRUS HUNTER article cover image
THE VIRUS HUNTER
5min
pages 38-39
地球の底から、惑星誕生の謎に迫る article cover image
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2min
pages 40-41
見えない生態系が残した物語を紡ぐ article cover image
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2min
pages 42-43
ELEVATING WOMEN LEADERS IN MYANMAR article cover image
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8min
pages 44-47
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5min
pages 48-49
COVID-19: OUR COMMUNITY ON THE FRONT LINES OF RESEARCH article cover image
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9min
pages 50-53