Abstract: The earliest forms of life would likely have a protocellular form, with a membrane encapsulating some form of linear charged polymer. These polymers could have enzymatic as well as genetic properties. We can simulate plausible prebiotic conditions in the laboratory to test hypotheses related to this concept. In earlier work we have shown that mononucleotides organized within a multilamellar lipid matrix can produce oligomers in the anhydrous phase of dehydration- rehydration cycles (Rajamani,…