HBCU Digest August 2, 2010 Jackson State, Spelman to Study Origins of Life on Earth Jackson State University and Spelman College are part of a national research team that will study the chemical and biological processes that will better explain the origins of life on Earth<http://www.newswise.com/articles/georgia-tech-awarded-a-20m-center-for-chemical-innovation-from-nsf-nasa>. Headed by the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Center for Chemical Evolution will be funded by a $20 million grant awarded by the National Science Foundation and N.A.S.A. From NewsWise.com<http://www.newswise.com/articles/georgia-tech-awarded-a-20m-center-for-chemical-innovation-from-nsf-nasa>: "Our research team seeks to understand how certain molecules in a complex mixture can work together to form highly ordered assemblies that exhibit chemical properties similar to those associated with biological molecules," said Nicholas V. Hud, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Such a process was likely an essential and early stage of life, so we are also working to understand what chemicals were present on the prebiotic Earth and what processes helped these chemicals form the complex substances ultimately needed for life..." All of the researchers will work together to accomplish the Center for Chemical Evolution's three main research goals: * To identify potential biological building blocks among the products of model prebiotic reactions, * To investigate the chemical components and conditions that promote the spontaneous assembly of increasingly complex multi-component structures, and * To prepare and characterize highly-ordered chemical assemblies, and to study their potential to function like biological substances. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/meeting-form.html for the October 24-26, 2010 HBCU Library Alliance 4th Membership Meeting and the "Conference on Advocacy" pre-conference in Montgomery, AL. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.