Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
7-1-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Mathematics
First Advisor
Michael Lindstrom
Second Advisor
Eloi Camprubi-Casas
Third Advisor
Zhaosheng Feng
Abstract
Could molecular composition alone to act as a mode of heredity? According to the "metabolism first" theory, life emerged not from genetics but through autocatalytic chemical reaction systems enclosed within primitive cellular structures before the evolution of the DNA and RNA replication machinery. Determining whether basic cellular models known as composomes can exhibit selection, inheritance, and adaptability in the absence of genetics remains an important problem for abiogenesis. In this work, we explore the potential of heritable characteristics, even without genetic information, to evolve via both experimental and theoretical methods in a lab environment, using computer vision and mathematics. In particular, we create and study populations of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) by applying various stresses, including changes in membrane composition and external chemical stress. To measure vesicle behavior, we developed computer vision methods to track individual vesicles throughout their growth and division. Our computer vision techniques measure vesicle size, shape, and fluorescent membrane characteristics, enabling us to study the ability of “membrane traits” to be maintained or inherited by subsequent generations of vesicles.
Concurrently, we constructed mathematical models representing the processes of micelle formation, lipid acquisition, environmental membrane exchange, and micelle division. By building on earlier theories, our model enables predictions about circumstances in which membrane composition can be inherited genetically without genetic replication. Through stability and bifurcation analysis, we find parameter ranges conducive to inheritance and selection. In this way, feedback is created between theory and experimental data. The two approaches, together, are used to study the ability of composomes to select and transfer desirable compositional states, shedding light on possible evolutionary processes prior to the development of genes.
Recommended Citation
Barreiro-Arevalo, M. (2026). Insights Into the Origins of Heredity in Composomal Systems [Doctoral dissertation, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley]. ScholarWorks @ UTRGV. https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/2080
Comments
Copyright 2026 Myrine A. Barreiro-Arevalo. All Rights Reserved. https://proquest.com/docview/3408952452