Solvent constraints for biopolymer folding and evolution in extraterrestrial environments

Understand

We propose that spontaneous folding and molecular evolution of biopolymers are two universal aspects that must concur for life to happen.

• These aspects are fundamentally related to the chemical composition of biopolymers and crucially depend on the solvent in which they are embedded.
• We show that molecular information theory and energy landscape theory allow us to explore the limits that solvents impose on biopolymer existence.
• We consider 54 solvents, including water, alcohols, hydrocarbons, halogenated solvents, aromatic solvents, and low molecular weight substances made up of elements abundant in the universe, which may potentially take part in alternative biochemistries.