The great challenge of explaining how life originated is to conceive and create simplified versions of living systems that are nonetheless self-sustaining.13 This requires the tools of systems biology, where living organisms are understood as networks of chemicals and of systems. Systems biology treats life as a complex system of interacting nodes, each with its own properties, and aims for a holistic and computational level of understanding.14
A key aim is to produce “emergent” properties, where the overall system has properties and functionalities that are not inherent to the individual parts, but emerge from their interactions.15 One example would be self-organisation: systems of chemicals that can self-assemble into three-dimensional structures or reaction cycles, and which are on some level self-sustaining.
The move towards studies of complex systems presents a considerable analytical challenge. Modern origin of life experiments often involve setups in which dozens of chemicals, or even more, interact with one another. As a result, there is a pressing need for highly sensitive analytical techniques that can track the changes in these systems.16
