ACPA Seminar Series: A (geo)chemical underpinning for earliest-recognisable "pre-RNA" materials, upstream in Time of the RNA World for Biology

Welcome to the ACPA Seminar Series, a monthly webinar series including various topics of interest related to advancing the Chemical Profession in Alberta. For the next seminar in this series, we are happy to introduce Nicholas Platts, Ph.D., P.Chem, for 'A (geo)chemical underpinning for earliest-recognizable "pre-RNA" materials, upstream in Time of the RNA World for Biology on February 11, 2026. Each seminar will be eligible for 1 PDC credit.

Agenda

6:45 PM MT - Networking

7:00 PM MT - Seminar

Speaker

Nicholas Platts, Ph.D., P.Chem.

Simon Nicholas Platts, Ph.D., P.Chem., is an English-Australian-Canadian chemist. He obtained an Honours degree at Monash Univ., majoring in Chem. His 4th-year concentration was in Structural Chemistry by XRD methods, under the direction of renowned mineral & crystal chemist, Dr. Bryan M.K.C. Gatehouse (1932-2014). He was introduced to the 'Origin-of-Life' problem in Chemistry by Prof. Ronald D. Brown (1927-2008) in 1986. Inspired by the multidisciplinary example set by British geologist Prof. Michael J. Russell, it was the British chemist Prof. Stephen F. Mason (1923-2007) who advised looking to the U.S. for graduate school. In 1996, Prof. Gerald F. Joyce kindly let him attend a Gordon Research Conference (Ventura, Calif.), to hear discussion of the state of research across the 'Origin-of-Life' field. He relocated from Australia to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue pre-doctoral studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY), under Prof. James P. Ferris (1932-2016), also coming under the influence of Prof. John W. Delano (SUNY-Albany). While at RPI, he improved a photochemical apparatus for generating Titan 'haze' analogue materials, in support of the Cassini-Huygens mission in-flight for the Saturn system. In 2002, he moved to the Geophysical Laboratory at the Carnegie Institution (Wash., D.C.), on fellowship to work in the Organic Geochemistry lab of Dr. George D. Cody. While at the GL, he was kindly given the tools, time, and peaceful surroundings which then collaboratively led to the long-missed 'end run' conceptual breakthrough that later became known as the (Carnegie-RPI-NASA) PAH World model [a name that was kindly coined for it by Dr. R.M. Hazen] for a logical nexus mechanism between the physical sciences and earliest-recognisable pre-RNA oligo-materials on the prebiotic Earth. Prior to coming to North America, he taught senior Chemistry (along with middle-school Science & a Religious Studies class) at Melbourne Grammar School. In the U.K., he taught Chemistry at Oundle School (Salters' & GCSE). In industry, he's worked on environmental remediation projects (soil & water), and has even 'slung pipe' in the oilpatch to be able to observe applied chemical aspects of 'fracking' operations first-hand. He's currently at RPI, giving-back to his doctoral alma mater by teaching Chemistry from an industrial & practical problem-solving viewpoint.

Seminar

2025 was a great year for Biology's RNA World hypothesis, given news that material retrieved from asteroid "Bennu" contains nitrogenous heterocycles (incl. all 5 bio-canonical nucleobases), as well as [racemic] sugars (incl. ribose). So if these kinds of molecules could've been present in Darwin's "warm little pond," then Chemistry may be able to provide a rational explanation for the formation of recognisable "pre-RNA" oligo-materials on the early-Earth (& potentially on other suitable planets, as well). In 1953, the chemical description of the iconic DNA model's sec-tertiary structure apparently missed a facet, and consequently a clue to the possibility of life's origination via the RNA World route. How & why this happened, with light kindly shone on some of the historical aspects by Dr. Maxine F. Singer (1931-2024) & Prof. James D. Watson (1928-2025), along with the seeming implications (across several scientific fronts) are matters discussed in this talk.

Registration

Admission: FREE

Registration Deadline February 10, 2026

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Register Today

If you have questions, contact the ACPA office at [email protected].

Note: The ACPA seminar series is a professional development event and the opinions of the speaker are not ACPA policy.