StarTalk Radio Building Life from Scratch with Kerstin Göpfrich
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Sep 2, 2025 Join Neil deGrasse Tyson and Matt Kirshen as they chat with Kerstin Göpfrich, a molecular biologist and professor advancing synthetic biology. They explore how life might originate in the universe and the implications of creating life from scratch. Göpfrich shares insights on RNA nanotechnology and the intriguing concept of molecular chirality. The trio also dives into the ethical complexities of engineering life and the future potential of synthetic organisms, leaving listeners pondering the origins and possibilities of life beyond Earth.
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Defining Life For Synthetic Biology
- Göpfrich uses NASA's working definition: a self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution.
- She extends it to demand open-ended evolution so complexity can increase over time.
Death Enables Evolutionary Selection
- Death and resource limits are essential for Darwinian evolution at the population level.
- Without death you get uncontrolled growth and no selection pressure to drive adaptation.
Miller–Urey As A Proof Of Prebiotic Chemistry
- The Miller–Urey experiment recreated early-Earth-like conditions and produced amino acids from simple gases and energy.
- Göpfrich uses it to show prebiotic chemistry can yield life's building blocks but not full biology.