New Research Links Rainwater to Formation of First Protocell Walls

Study suggests rainwater played a critical role in creating stable protocells, a key step in the origin of life on Earth.

Scientists propose rainwater helped form meshy walls around protocells 3.8 billion years ago.
The meshy walls restricted RNA exchange, allowing for mutation and evolution.
Researchers used distilled and actual rainwater to test the stability of coacervate droplets.
Findings indicate that even acidic rainwater could support protocell stability.
This discovery bridges a significant gap in understanding the early evolution of life.