External seminar - Olivier Rivoire (ESPCI)

Abstract : 

Life is understood as both the product and the engine of evolutionary processes. In extant life forms, reproduction of individuals with heritable variation, which is essential for Darwinian evolution, involves intricate chemical and physical processes orchestrated by biomolecules that are themselves products of evolution. The complexity of these processes poses a significant challenge for conceptualizing life and understanding its origins. I will present our efforts to define and study simple physico-chemical models with evolutionary features as an approach to elucidate the minimal requirements for life-like properties.