Unveiling Life’s Dawn: The Revolutionary Nanozymes Hypothesis Reshaping Our Understanding of Earth’s Origin of Life
For decades, the enigma surrounding life’s emergence from inert chemicals on early Earth has fascinated scientists, yet the process remains shrouded in mystery. While myriad hypotheses have been posited—from the Metabolism-first world and Zinc world to the RNA and Lipid worlds—none have offered a fully unified and comprehensive framework explaining how life transitioned from simple molecules to complex systems. However, a groundbreaking perspective introduced by Professor Yongdong Jin from Shenzhen University is now challenging this status quo. His “nanozymes hypothesis” promises to transform our grasp on the origin of life (OoL) by highlighting the critical roles of mineral-based natural nanozymes (MN-zymes) in catalyzing early biochemical evolution.
The hypothesis pivots on the catalytic prowess of primordial mineral nanoparticles, naturally synthesized under Earth’s harsh and dynamic geothermal conditions, such as volcanoes and hydrothermal vents. These nanozymes—tiny mineral particles with enzyme-like activities—are proposed as vital agents facilitating the synthesis of prehistoric small life molecules, effectively bridging the gap between inert inorganic matter and the advent of rudimentary life forms. Unlike previous models focusing predominantly on organic molecular evolutions, the nanozymes hypothesis posits inorganic-organic hybrid systems as early biocatalysts, initiating complex chemical transformations through what Jin terms “inorganic photosynthesis.”
Central to the hypothesis is the multifunctionality of natural MN-zymes. Beyond merely accelerating reactions, these nanozymes exhibit surface binding and confinement properties, selectively shielding sensitive molecules from destructive ultraviolet radiation, managing energy flow harnessed from sunlight and geothermal heat, and exercising primitive photo-selection capabilities. This multifaceted role not only fosters molecular complexity but also imbues early molecular assemblies with information-rich attributes, essential for replication and evolution—cornerstones of living systems.
Parsing the Earth’s interior and surface reveals a natural “chemistry laboratory” where pressure and temperature gradients exist at various depths, from the mantle through the crust, especially near volcanism and hot springs. These geophysical conditions likely catalyzed the abiotic formation of metal nanoparticles and metal oxide or sulfide forms, the primordial MN-zymes. Intriguingly, natural mechanisms such as mineral weathering in charged water microdroplets and ultraviolet exposure further amplified production and stability of these particles, accelerating prebiotic molecular synthesis in ways previously underestimated in abiogenesis research.
Among these naturally occurring nanocatalysts, monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) emerge as especially notable. Although AuNPs are often regarded today as artificial nanozymes, their geological plausibility in prebiotic Earth conditions—particularly when stabilized by organic ligands such as thiols and amines produced by other nanozymes—suggests they may have played an outsized role in the early biochemical landscape. Jin dubs this prebiotic phase the “Au world,” underscoring the catalytic vitality of gold nanoparticles in forging life’s molecular precursors.
This revitalization of the nanozymes framework clarifies long-standing paradoxes about the chemical pathways underlying life’s origin. It merges disparate OoL theories under a cohesive umbrella, providing a dynamic, iterative scenario where natural mineral catalysts evolve alongside environmental changes, facilitating prebiotic chemistry’s progressive complexity. Earth’s persistent, self-renewing mineral nanolibraries adapt in tandem with shifting geochemical contexts, contributing simultaneously to mineral evolution and the gradual modulation of surface conditions conducive to organic synthesis.
Moreover, the hypothesis underscores the nuanced interplay between physical and chemical processes in prebiotic Earth environments. Wet-dry cycling, amphiphilic molecule amphipathicity, self-assembly, and protoenzyme catalytic activity together formed a crucible for molecular cooperation and co-evolution—key elements fostering stabilization and symbiotic relationships that begot early life. This physical-chemical synergy also touches upon intriguing aspects such as the water paradox and chirality’s molecular origins, deepening insight into why life emerged with such molecular specificity and complexity.
Underlying these intricate dynamics is Earth’s vast and sustainable ambient energy landscape—sunlight, geothermal heat, and electrical phenomena like lightning—that, through nanozyme mediation, orchestrated the flow and transformation of energy into biologically meaningful molecular assemblies. The conversion of energy into “informationized” molecules that can be selectively amplified and replicated embodies a remarkable natural information processing mechanism predicated upon MN-zymes—a breakthrough conceptual framework heralding a new frontier in understanding life’s genesis.
Professor Jin’s nanozymes hypothesis thus serves not only as a revitalizing synthesis of existing theories but also propels origin-of-life research into untrodden territory emphasizing mineral-catalyzed nanochemistry. It implores future experimental work to probe natural nanoparticle catalysis under prebiotic analog conditions and explore the emergent properties of mineral-organic hybrid catalytic systems. Such research bears profound implications, potentially illuminating novel pathways for synthetic biology and planetary science.
In the wider context, this hypothesis provokes compelling questions about life’s uniqueness and universality. If mineral nanozymes naturally catalyze life’s building blocks on Earth, could similar geochemical conditions and nanocatalytic processes elsewhere in the cosmos yield life? By integrating geological, chemical, and physical insights, the nanozymes framework invites astrobiologists to reconsider criteria for habitable environments not merely as water-rich but as dynamic nanoparticle-active systems.
In summary, the nanozymes hypothesis articulates a paradigm shift: from viewing life’s emergence solely through organic chemistry lenses to appreciating the essential catalytic and informational roles of mineral nanozymes. This model enriches and expands the scope of the origin-of-life narrative—grounding biology’s deepest roots in Earth’s mineralogical and geophysical matrix. As investigations deepen, it stands poised to unlock the profound mysteries of life’s ancient dawn and inspire revolutionary approaches to synthetic life creation.
Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: On the Origin of Life on Earth: The Nanozymes Hypothesis, and More
News Publication Date: 9-Dec-2025
Web References: Not provided
References: DOI 10.34133/research.1025
Image Credits: Copyright © 2025 Yongdong Jin
Keywords: Origin of Life, Nanozymes, Mineral Nanoparticles, Prebiotic Chemistry, Abiogenesis, Catalysis, Gold Nanoparticles, Prebiotic Molecular Evolution
