Liquid–liquid phase separation as a driver of abiogenesis and evolution

The origin of life may have emerged through physical mechanisms that enable molecular organization and self-assembly. Building on Alexander Oparin’s concept of coacervate droplets, liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) offers a plausible route for prebiotic molecules to concentrate and interact, supporting the transition from chemistry to biology. LLPS provides a dynamic, membrane-free environment that could enhance RNA function and facilitate the evolution of regulatory and signaling networks that are foundational to the creation of life. By linking molecular interactions and emergent behaviors, LLPS bridges the gap between simple biochemical interactions and collective cellular organization. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), peptides, ions, and other organics can be incorporated into coacervates that concentrate molecules, accelerate reactions, and compartmentalize specific chemicals, which effectively organize primitive environments and produce an arena for “natural selection” to ignite. This framework suggests that RNA, DNA, and proteins each possess intrinsic agency (molecular behavior), which is defined as possessing the ability to sense, respond, and self-organize. When coupled through LLPS, a novel and enhanced agency arises to provide higher-order properties and coordinated function. Emerging theories may explain how such networks achieve coherence and suggest that the boundary conditions created by LLPS provide the architecture by which abiogenesis, evolution, and cognition are possible.