'In Vitro' and 'In Silico' Complementary Studies on the Physical Properties of Prebiotic Compartments

Fatty-acid vesicles are being extensively studied as experimental models of prebiotic compartments. These supramolecular structures have shown a variety of interesting dynamic properties (spontaneous self-assembly, autocatalytic growth, potential reproductive and/or competitive regimes – for a review see [1]). Nevertheless, their high dynamism presents at the same time some drawbacks: compared to compartments made of standard phospholipids (or, so-called, liposomes), fatty-acid vesicles are more permeable and less stable; they require higher monomer concentration thresholds (cvc values) and are rather sensitive to external factors, such as pH, temperature, or ionic strength [2, 3].