Life may have begun in sticky gels long before the first cells formed

Life may have begun in sticky gels long before the first cells formed

For decades, scientists have searched for clues to how life first emerged on Earth. Many theories focus on simple molecules reacting in water or on fragile protocells drifting in ancient seas. A new study from Hiroshima University offers a different view. The earliest steps toward life may have taken place inside sticky, gel-like materials attached to Earth’s surfaces. This idea comes from an international team of researchers who argue that thes…