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ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: ZENODO
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Marine Snow as Mobile Interfacial Carriers of Prebiotic Molecules

Authors: Kato, Shinya;

Marine Snow as Mobile Interfacial Carriers of Prebiotic Molecules

Abstract

Marine snow is typically understood as a biological phenomenon in modern oceans, consisting of aggregates of organic matter and microorganisms. However, the fundamental physicochemical processes underlying particle aggregation, adsorption, and transport are not inherently biological. Here, we propose that marine snow–like aggregates, formed from mineral colloids and prebiotic organic compounds, may have acted as mobile interfacial carriers in early Earth environments. Such aggregates could concentrate, transport, and redistribute prebiotic molecules across spatially distinct niches, linking sites of molecular accumulation—such as ice–water interfaces—with sites of transformation and energy availability, including hydrothermal systems. By providing dynamic interfaces that undergo repeated aggregation and dispersion, these structures may have facilitated molecular exchange and recombination processes that are otherwise unlikely in dilute aqueous environments. This hypothesis reframes marine snow as a physicochemical mechanism for spatial integration in prebiotic chemistry and suggests testable implications for the role of colloidal transport in the origin of life.

Keywords

Clay colloids; Prebiotic chemistry; Interfacial processes; Molecular transport

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average