Research area: Origin of life The origin of life research area focuses on understanding how life first emerged on Earth. This area encompasses various scientific disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and geology, and seeks to answer fundamental questions such as: How did the first living organisms arise from non-living matter? What were the conditions on early Earth that allowed for the formation of life? Researchers in this field investigate various hypotheses and theories, such as the RNA world hypothesis, the deep-sea vent hypothesis, and the panspermia hypothesis, to try to piece together the puzzle of how life began on our planet. By studying the chemical reactions and environmental conditions that may have led to the origin of life, scientists hope to gain a deeper understanding of the processes that underpin the evolution of life on Earth and potentially on other planets as well.