Photo Chemically Formed Protocell-Like Model “Jeewanu”: A Potential Model in Synthetic Biology and Origin of Life Research

Abstract

The quest to elucidate the origin of life has given rise to numerous models that explore prebiotic chemistry, cellular compartmentalization, and protometabolism. Among these, the Jeewanu model—first introduced by Krishna Bahadur in the 1960s—presents a unique photochemically driven protocell system formed from simple inorganic salts, organic compounds, and solar radiation. Despite historical neglect and scientific skepticism, Jeewanu exhibits several hallmark features of living systems, including self-assembled membranes, catalytic activity, nutrient uptake, and environmentally driven growth and division. This study revisits Jeewanu through the lens of modern synthetic biology, assessing its structural components, functional behaviors, and alignment with contemporary origin-of-life frameworks. Comparative analyses highlight Jeewanu’s potential to bridge metabolism-first and replicator-first models, facilitated by its capacity to generate proton gradients, encapsulate biomolecules, and exhibit vesicle-based dynamics. We further explore its integration into the Design–Build–Test–Learn (DBTL) cycle, where Jeewanu serves as a minimal, bottom-up platform for prototyping artificial cellular systems. Applications in astrobiology, drug delivery, and bioengineering underscore its continued relevance, while ethical and reproducibility challenges warrant careful governance. Our findings advocate for the scientific reevaluation of Jeewanu using current tools in spectroscopy, systems biology, and machine learning to standardize protocols and validate its biogenic properties. By repositioning Jeewanu within the scope of systems chemistry and synthetic biology, this work highlights its value not only as a historical model but also as a contemporary framework for investigating the emergence and engineering of life.