Cold plasma induced chemical reactions. Implications for molecular evolution

The main aspects of the chemical origins of life research concern the synthesis of so called prebiotic compounds, such as amino acids, purine and pirimidine bases, sugars, etc., and the subsequent steps of their condensation up to proteins and nucleic acids. However, most studies are frequently dedicated to the synthesis of individual compounds, ignoring the complexity of the medium in which they evolved. Cold plasma laboratory simulations corroborated with thermodynamic calculations and space observations are presented.