Objective
The question of the origin of life has intrigued human beings for centuries. Life appeared on Earth about 3.8 billion years ago, but we ignore the process that made it possible. Recent theories propose that primitive Earth was a huge chemical reactor where a high diversity of precursor components progressively turned into primordial metabolic, self-replicating, and membrane-bounded systems. The origin of these components is debated. They could be formed endogenously or exogenously. It is remarkable that life appeared on Earth soon after the arrival of tones of extraterrestrial organic material on its surface by the impact of meteorites and comets and thus, exogenous delivery is considered a decisive step in the origin of life. This idea is supported by the detection of amino acids, nucleobases and sugars in meteorites and comets. It has been proposed that the chemical composition of comets could be inherited from the parental, interstellar molecular cloud core. But what molecules of prebiotic interest can be formed in interstellar space? And which ones could be inherited from the initial conditions of star and planet formation?
OPENS is an interdisciplinary project that will discover what prebiotic molecules are present in the interstellar medium (ISM) and are inherited by Solar-system precursors. Our novel approach integrates astronomical observations, laboratory experiments of ices, quantum chemical computations and theoretical modeling. This project is very timely since it will exploit ultra-sensitive, broadband spectral surveys recently obtained with IRAM 30m and Yebes 40m, and data from ALMA and JVLA large programs and from a JWST ERS project. The detection in the ISM of the prebiotic compounds essential for the emergence of life, will pave the way for future laboratory studies in prebiotic chemistry, and will have important implications for our understanding of how life could originate on our planet and how likely it is to emerge elsewhere in the Universe.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences meteorites
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences comets
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-COG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
28006 MADRID
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.