In 1952, Stanley Miller, a 22-year-old researcher, proposed a groundbreaking experiment to his supervisor at the University of Chicago. The idea was simple yet profound: to replicate the conditions of the early Earth within a glass container and observe if life-like structures could emerge from basic elements. By introducing ammonia, methane, hydrogen, and water vapor to mimic the primitive atmosphere and simulating storms with electrical discharges, the team witnessed a remarkable event. Amino acids, the building blocks of life, materialized in the laboratory setting.
Decades later, in 2021, Spanish geologist Juan Manuel García Ruiz revisited this experiment using a Teflon container. However, contrary to expectations, no significant developments occurred. The key revelation came from the presence of silica in the glass, a mineral composed of silicon and oxygen. This discovery led to García Ruiz receiving a substantial research grant of €10 million ($10.8 million) from the EU to delve into the role of silica in the origin of life on Earth.
García Ruiz, now 70 years old, often intertwines his scientific discussions with references to the renowned Spanish poet Federico García Lorca. Drawing inspiration from Lorca’s work, particularly Poet in New York, García Ruiz reflects on the dehumanization of urban landscapes and the complexities of life’s origins. His journey of discovery traces back to his youth as a student in Madrid in the late 1970s when he stumbled upon peculiar mineral formations resembling living organisms within laboratory containers.
Despite facing skepticism and challenges in presenting his findings, García Ruiz persisted in his research. He coined the term “biomorphs” to describe these intricate mineral structures that mimicked organic life forms. The scientific community’s reluctance to accept the possibility of inorganic structures resembling life forms stemmed from entrenched beliefs in the dichotomy between crystalline symmetry and the fluidity of biological shapes.
García Ruiz’s seminal work culminated in the publication of his research in 2003, showcasing the synthesis of filamentous microstructures akin to ancient fossilized bacteria. By challenging conventional notions of morphology as a definitive marker of life, García Ruiz shattered existing paradigms. His hypothesis traces the origins of life back to a primordial Earth with vast water bodies, where silica biomorphs played a pivotal role in facilitating interactions among the nascent elements of life.
As García Ruiz embarks on the PROTOS project funded by the European Research Council, his quest for understanding the transformative role of silica in Earth’s evolution continues. Collaborating with international partners, his team aims to unravel the intricate dynamics of fluid-mineral interactions that shaped our planet’s transition from a barren landscape to a cradle of diverse life forms. In this pursuit, García Ruiz remains steadfast in his atheistic beliefs, emphasizing a scientific narrative devoid of mythical explanations.