Emergence of Life: From Chemical Origins to Synthetic Biology

This new edition of "Emergence of Life: From a Systems Biology Perspective" has undergone extensive revision to reflect changes in scientific understanding and evolution of thought on the question of what is life. It emphasizes the philosophical aspects of science, including the epistemic features of modern synthetic biology, and provides an updated view of the autopoiesis/cognition theory. It is an ideal resource for researchers and students across fields including bioengineering, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, chemistry, and chemical engineering, offering a comprehensive treatment of the biophysical properties of vesicles and challenging the reader with provocative questions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 478 pages
Publication date: 14 February 2019
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Addressing the emergence of life from a systems biology perspective, this new edition has undergone extensive revision, reflecting changes in scientific understanding and evolution of thought on the question, "What is life?" With an emphasis on the philosophical aspects of science, including the epistemic features of modern synthetic biology, and also providing an updated view of the autopoiesis/cognition theory, the book gives an exhaustive treatment of the biophysical properties of vesicles, seen as the beginning of the road map to the minimal cell, a road map that will develop into the question of whether and to what extent synthetic biology will be capable of making minimal life in the laboratory. Fully illustrated, accessibly written, directly challenging the reader with provocative questions, offering suggestions for research proposals, and including dialogues with contemporary authors such as Humberto Maturana, Albert Eschenmoser, and Harold Morowitz, this is an ideal resource for researchers and students across fields including bioengineering, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, chemistry, and chemical engineering.

Addressing the emergence of life from a systems biology perspective, this new edition has undergone extensive revision, reflecting changes in scientific understanding and evolution of thought on the question, "What is life?" With an emphasis on the philosophical aspects of science, including the epistemic features of modern synthetic biology, and also providing an updated view of the autopoiesis/cognition theory, the book gives an exhaustive treatment of the biophysical properties of vesicles, seen as the beginning of the road map to the minimal cell, a road map that will develop into the question of whether and to what extent synthetic biology will be capable of making minimal life in the laboratory. Fully illustrated, accessibly written, directly challenging the reader with provocative questions, offering suggestions for research proposals, and including dialogues with contemporary authors such as Humberto Maturana, Albert Eschenmoser, and Harold Morowitz, this is an ideal resource for researchers and students across fields including bioengineering, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, chemistry, and chemical engineering.

Weight: 830g
Dimension: 243 x 170 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108735506
Edition number: 2 Revised edition