“Synthetic Modeling of Life and Cognition: Open Questions” (SMLC 2013) – 12-14.09.2013, Bergamo, Italy “Synthetic Modeling of Life and Cognition: Open Questions” (SMLC 2013) – 12-14.09.2013, Bergamo, Italy“Synthetic Modeling of Life and Cognition: Open Questions” (SMLC 2013) – 12-14.09.2013, Bergamo, Italy

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Call for Papers

Workshop “Synthetic Modeling of Life and Cognition: Open Questions” (SMLC 2013)

12-14th September 2013, University of Bergamo, Italy

Organizers:
Luisa Damiano (University of Bergamo)
Vincent C. Müller (Anatolia College/ACT & University of Oxford)

Website: http://www.pt-ai.org/smlc/2013

In recent decades researchers in various scientific domains have been working intensely on procedures directed to exploring life and cognition in a “synthetic” way, i.e. through modeling in artificial systems. Research on biological and cognitive processes is thus been increasingly based on implementations in “software” (simulations), “hardware” (robots) and “wetware” (chemical systems) used as scientific models of the processes in question. This scientific development is often seen as the emergence of a new general methodology, a “synthetic methodology”, slated to become a dominant force in science. This synthetic methodology poses a challenge for both science itself and the philosophy of science: to define the possibilities, the limits, and the ways of the synthetic modeling of life and cognition, and its relevance for biological, behavioral, cognitive, and social sciences.

The workshop “Synthetic Modeling of Life and Cognition: Open Questions” will tackle this challenge by creating a strongly interdisciplinary forum that can formulate and address these fundamental questions. The workshop brings together pioneers of the synthetic exploration of life and cognition from different scientific domains (computer science, synthetic biology, cognitive, developmental, social robotics…), and invites them to discuss with philosophers and other specialists studying this emerging form of scientific investigation.

Invited speakers

  • Minoru Asada, Osaka University, Japan
  • Angelo Cangelosi, University of Plymouth, UK
  • Luciano Fadiga, University of Ferrara, Italy
  • Stuart Kauffman, University of Calgary, Canada
  • Pier Luigi Luisi, University of Rome Three, Italy
  • Giorgio Metta, Italian Institute of Technology, Italy
  • Giulio Sandini, Italian Institute of Technology, Italy
  • Ricard Solé, Pompeu Fabra University, Spain

Call for Papers

The SMLC 2013 workshop adopts an “Open Questions” format. – This means that the SMLC 2013 call for papers contains a list of questions on the synthetic modeling of life and cognition formulated by members of the Program Committee and other selected specialists on the basis of their expertise and in accordance with the topics of the workshop.

Deadline: 30.06.2013

Complete Call for Papers: http://www.pt-ai.org/smlc/2013/calls

 

Call for Papers

Workshop “Synthetic Modeling of Life and Cognition: Open Questions” (SMLC 2013)

12-14th September 2013, University of Bergamo, Italy

Organizers:

Luisa Damiano (University of Bergamo)

Vincent C. Müller (Anatolia College/ACT & University of Oxford)

WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.PT-AI.ORG/SMLC/2013

In recent decades researchers in various scientific domains have been working intensely on procedures directed to exploring life and cognition in a “synthetic” way, i.e. through modeling in artificial systems. Research on biological and cognitive processes is thus been increasingly based on implementations in “software” (simulations), “hardware” (robots) and “wetware” (chemical systems) used as scientific models of the processes in question. This scientific development is often seen as the emergence of a new general methodology, a “synthetic methodology”, slated to become a dominant force in science. This synthetic methodology poses a challenge for both science itself and the philosophy of science: to define the possibilities, the limits, and the ways of the synthetic modeling of life and cognition, and its relevance for biological, behavioral, cognitive, and social sciences.

The workshop “Synthetic Modeling of Life and Cognition: Open Questions” will tackle this challenge by creating a strongly interdisciplinary forum that can formulate and address these fundamental questions. The workshop brings together pioneers of the synthetic exploration of life and cognition from different scientific domains (computer science, synthetic biology, cognitive, developmental, social robotics…), and invites them to discuss with philosophers and other specialists studying this emerging form of scientific investigation.

Invited speakers

  • Minoru Asada, Osaka University, Japan
  • Angelo Cangelosi, University of Plymouth, UK
  • Luciano Fadiga, University of Ferrara, Italy
  • Stuart Kauffman, University of Calgary, Canada
  • Pier Luigi Luisi, University of Rome Three, Italy
  • Giorgio Metta, Italian Institute of Technology, Italy
  • Giulio Sandini, Italian Institute of Technology, Italy
  • Ricard Solé, Pompeu Fabra University, Spain

Sponsors

  • Università degli studi di Bergamo, Italy
  • Research Center for Ars Vivendi at Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan
  • EUCog, European Network for the Advancement of Artificial Cognitive Systems, Interaction and Robotics

 

Call for Papers

The SMLC 2013 workshop adopts an “Open Questions” format. – This means that the SMLC 2013 call for papers contains a list of questions on the synthetic modeling of life and cognition formulated by members of the Program Committee and other selected specialists on the basis of their expertise and in accordance with the topics of the workshop.

The SMLC 2013 workshop questions are cutting-edge open questions defining the agenda of the nascent  interdisciplinary community dedicated to support the reflected and cooperative development of the synthetic modeling of life and cognition.

We welcome abstracts presenting and critically supporting original approaches directed to tackle the issues defined by the questions, and able to stimulate discussions and the emergence of new research lines in the interdisciplinary community created by the workshop.

The list of the SMLC 2013 workshop open questions can be found below. The questions are divided in three groups on the basis of their contents, and each question has an ID number.

We invite specialists from all the different research fields involved in this highly interdisciplinary forum to submit abstracts. In particular we welcome researchers from biology, synthetic biology, computational biology, AL, cognitive sciences, sciences of complex systems, computer sciences, AI, cognitive robotics, developmental robotics, social robotics, philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, philosophy of biology, philosophy of cognitive science, epistemology.

The Program Committee will select the papers to be presented at the workshop as talks through a double-blind peer review process.

We are planning to publish proceedings of the conference with a reputed publisher.

Information on how to prepare your abstract(s):

Each abstract should be anonymised for blind review and should include:

– the ID number and the short version of the question you are addressing;

–  the title of your contribution;

–  a text of up to 1000 words (excl. references) in a PDF;

–  a short abstract of up to 150 words.

Deadline: 30.06.2013

Submission at: https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=smlc2013

Latest Information at http://www.pt-ai.org/smlc/2013/paper-submission

For any further information, please do not hesitate to contact the organizers.

Thank you for contributing to this emergent research area!

SMLC 2013: Open Questions

This is the list of questions on the synthetic modeling of life and cognition, formulated by members of the Program Committee and other selected specialists on the basis of their expertise and in accordance with the topics of the workshop.

a) Synthetic exploration of life 

(1) What are the possibilities and the limits of the synthetic study of the origins of life?

(2) Aiming at a universal biology: what can be the contribution of the synthetic methodology?

(3) Does the synthetic modeling of life need teleology?

(4) How can we test for artificial life?

b) Synthetic exploration of cognition

(5) What can synthetic biology offer to the study of cognition?

(6) What is the role of embodiment in the synthetic exploration of cognition?

(7) How can one build an agent aware of its environment?

(8) How can we model conscious experience?

(9) The extended mind thesis: can it be explored synthetically?

c) Possibilities, limits, ways and impacts of the synthetic modeling of life and cognition:

(10) The “sciences of the artificial” and the “sciences of the natural”: How can we guarantee positive  interaction?

(11) What are the characteristics and roles of synthetic models?

(12) Do different forms of the synthetic modeling have different explanatory powers?

(13) Which levels of abstraction are appropriate in the synthetic modeling of life and cognition?

(14) What are the impacts of the synthetic methodology on the dichotomies ‘science/engineering’, and ‘artificial/natural’?

(15) The synthetic methodology: What are the environmental and social impacts?

 

Explanations of the open questions on

http://www.pt-ai.org/smlc/2013/open-questions

Call for Papers

Workshop “Synthetic Modeling of Life and Cognition: Open Questions” (SMLC 2013)

12-14th September 2013, University of Bergamo, Italy

Organizers:

Luisa Damiano (University of Bergamo)

Vincent C. Müller (Anatolia College/ACT & University of Oxford)

WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.PT-AI.ORG/SMLC/2013

In recent decades researchers in various scientific domains have been working intensely on procedures directed to exploring life and cognition in a “synthetic” way, i.e. through modeling in artificial systems. Research on biological and cognitive processes is thus been increasingly based on implementations in “software” (simulations), “hardware” (robots) and “wetware” (chemical systems) used as scientific models of the processes in question. This scientific development is often seen as the emergence of a new general methodology, a “synthetic methodology”, slated to become a dominant force in science. This synthetic methodology poses a challenge for both science itself and the philosophy of science: to define the possibilities, the limits, and the ways of the synthetic modeling of life and cognition, and its relevance for biological, behavioral, cognitive, and social sciences.

The workshop “Synthetic Modeling of Life and Cognition: Open Questions” will tackle this challenge by creating a strongly interdisciplinary forum that can formulate and address these fundamental questions. The workshop brings together pioneers of the synthetic exploration of life and cognition from different scientific domains (computer science, synthetic biology, cognitive, developmental, social robotics…), and invites them to discuss with philosophers and other specialists studying this emerging form of scientific investigation.

Invited speakers

  • Minoru Asada, Osaka University, Japan
  • Angelo Cangelosi, University of Plymouth, UK
  • Luciano Fadiga, University of Ferrara, Italy
  • Stuart Kauffman, University of Calgary, Canada
  • Pier Luigi Luisi, University of Rome Three, Italy
  • Giorgio Metta, Italian Institute of Technology, Italy
  • Giulio Sandini, Italian Institute of Technology, Italy
  • Ricard Solé, Pompeu Fabra University, Spain

Sponsors

  • Università degli studi di Bergamo, Italy
  • Research Center for Ars Vivendi at Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan
  • EUCog, European Network for the Advancement of Artificial Cognitive Systems, Interaction and Robotics

 

Call for Papers

The SMLC 2013 workshop adopts an “Open Questions” format. – This means that the SMLC 2013 call for papers contains a list of questions on the synthetic modeling of life and cognition formulated by members of the Program Committee and other selected specialists on the basis of their expertise and in accordance with the topics of the workshop.

The SMLC 2013 workshop questions are cutting-edge open questions defining the agenda of the nascent  interdisciplinary community dedicated to support the reflected and cooperative development of the synthetic modeling of life and cognition.

We welcome abstracts presenting and critically supporting original approaches directed to tackle the issues defined by the questions, and able to stimulate discussions and the emergence of new research lines in the interdisciplinary community created by the workshop.

The list of the SMLC 2013 workshop open questions can be found below. The questions are divided in three groups on the basis of their contents, and each question has an ID number.

We invite specialists from all the different research fields involved in this highly interdisciplinary forum to submit abstracts. In particular we welcome researchers from biology, synthetic biology, computational biology, AL, cognitive sciences, sciences of complex systems, computer sciences, AI, cognitive robotics, developmental robotics, social robotics, philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, philosophy of biology, philosophy of cognitive science, epistemology.

The Program Committee will select the papers to be presented at the workshop as talks through a double-blind peer review process.

We are planning to publish proceedings of the conference with a reputed publisher.

Information on how to prepare your abstract(s):

Each abstract should be anonymised for blind review and should include:

– the ID number and the short version of the question you are addressing;

–  the title of your contribution;

–  a text of up to 1000 words (excl. references) in a PDF;

–  a short abstract of up to 150 words.

Deadline: 30.06.2013

Submission at: https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=smlc2013

Latest Information at http://www.pt-ai.org/smlc/2013/paper-submission

For any further information, please do not hesitate to contact the organizers.

Thank you for contributing to this emergent research area!

SMLC 2013: Open Questions

This is the list of questions on the synthetic modeling of life and cognition, formulated by members of the Program Committee and other selected specialists on the basis of their expertise and in accordance with the topics of the workshop.

a) Synthetic exploration of life 

(1) What are the possibilities and the limits of the synthetic study of the origins of life?

(2) Aiming at a universal biology: what can be the contribution of the synthetic methodology?

(3) Does the synthetic modeling of life need teleology?

(4) How can we test for artificial life?

b) Synthetic exploration of cognition

(5) What can synthetic biology offer to the study of cognition?

(6) What is the role of embodiment in the synthetic exploration of cognition?

(7) How can one build an agent aware of its environment?

(8) How can we model conscious experience?

(9) The extended mind thesis: can it be explored synthetically?

c) Possibilities, limits, ways and impacts of the synthetic modeling of life and cognition:

(10) The “sciences of the artificial” and the “sciences of the natural”: How can we guarantee positive  interaction?

(11) What are the characteristics and roles of synthetic models?

(12) Do different forms of the synthetic modeling have different explanatory powers?

(13) Which levels of abstraction are appropriate in the synthetic modeling of life and cognition?

(14) What are the impacts of the synthetic methodology on the dichotomies ‘science/engineering’, and ‘artificial/natural’?

(15) The synthetic methodology: What are the environmental and social impacts?

 

Explanations of the open questions on

http://www.pt-ai.org/smlc/2013/open-questions

“Towards a Scientifically Tractable, Direct Realist, Sensorimotor Account of Experience” – IAS-Research Seminar by Mike Beaton“Towards a Scientifically Tractable, Direct Realist, Sensorimotor Account of Experience” – IAS-Research Seminar by Mike Beaton“Towards a Scientifically Tractable, Direct Realist, Sensorimotor Account of Experience” – IAS-Research Seminar by Mike Beaton

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Next Tuesday, May 28th, remember: at 11am, Mike Beaton.

Title: Towards a Scientifically Tractable, Direct Realist, Sensorimotor Account of Experience

Abstract: The sensorimotor account of experience has arguably not lived up to its early promise. I suggest that this is because a full-blown sensorimotor account needs to reject an assumption shared by most consciousness researchers, namely that first person experience corresponds to processes in the head. I argue instead that when we are experiencing an object or property in the world, the experienced object is literally part of the subjective experience. This is a form of direct realism. The sensorimotor account shows us (in ways which can be made highly analytic and mathematical) what objects are, such that we may enact them, and what experience is, such that it may directly, constitutively involve these external objects. This externalist account of experience matches our first-person phenomenology much better than the standard, internalist view; it also makes it much clearer how we can have genuine knowledge of the external world. Action-based views of perception, such as this one, should respond to apparently problematic cases such as locked-in syndrome, not by referring to covert action, but rather by referring to counterfactual links to overt action (this use of counterfactuals is completely normal in science). Direct realist views should respond to arguments from illusion by noting that the detailed flow of subjective experience is different when we are really encountering an object, and when we only seem to be. Brain dynamics remain a crucial enabling part of experience, but not the only part; experience itself is the ongoing, meaningful relationship between subject and world.Next Tuesday, May 28th, remember: at 11am, Mike Beaton.

Title: Towards a Scientifically Tractable, Direct Realist, Sensorimotor Account of Experience

Abstract: The sensorimotor account of experience has arguably not lived up to its early promise. I suggest that this is because a full-blown sensorimotor account needs to reject an assumption shared by most consciousness researchers, namely that first person experience corresponds to processes in the head. I argue instead that when we are experiencing an object or property in the world, the experienced object is literally part of the subjective experience. This is a form of direct realism. The sensorimotor account shows us (in ways which can be made highly analytic and mathematical) what objects are, such that we may enact them, and what experience is, such that it may directly, constitutively involve these external objects. This externalist account of experience matches our first-person phenomenology much better than the standard, internalist view; it also makes it much clearer how we can have genuine knowledge of the external world. Action-based views of perception, such as this one, should respond to apparently problematic cases such as locked-in syndrome, not by referring to covert action, but rather by referring to counterfactual links to overt action (this use of counterfactuals is completely normal in science). Direct realist views should respond to arguments from illusion by noting that the detailed flow of subjective experience is different when we are really encountering an object, and when we only seem to be. Brain dynamics remain a crucial enabling part of experience, but not the only part; experience itself is the ongoing, meaningful relationship between subject and world.Next Tuesday, May 28th, remember: at 11am, Mike Beaton.

Title: Towards a Scientifically Tractable, Direct Realist, Sensorimotor Account of Experience

Abstract: The sensorimotor account of experience has arguably not lived up to its early promise. I suggest that this is because a full-blown sensorimotor account needs to reject an assumption shared by most consciousness researchers, namely that first person experience corresponds to processes in the head. I argue instead that when we are experiencing an object or property in the world, the experienced object is literally part of the subjective experience. This is a form of direct realism. The sensorimotor account shows us (in ways which can be made highly analytic and mathematical) what objects are, such that we may enact them, and what experience is, such that it may directly, constitutively involve these external objects. This externalist account of experience matches our first-person phenomenology much better than the standard, internalist view; it also makes it much clearer how we can have genuine knowledge of the external world. Action-based views of perception, such as this one, should respond to apparently problematic cases such as locked-in syndrome, not by referring to covert action, but rather by referring to counterfactual links to overt action (this use of counterfactuals is completely normal in science). Direct realist views should respond to arguments from illusion by noting that the detailed flow of subjective experience is different when we are really encountering an object, and when we only seem to be. Brain dynamics remain a crucial enabling part of experience, but not the only part; experience itself is the ongoing, meaningful relationship between subject and world.

Second Retecog Workshop 2013: Interaction Second Retecog Workshop 2013: Interaction Second Retecog Workshop 2013: Interaction

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We are glad to announce the Second official Retecog Workshop on Interaction will take place 17-18 of January 2013 at the Paraninfo Building of the University of Zaragoza, Spain. Many members of IAS-Research will attend the workshop as participants, organizers or invited speakers.

Nos complace anunciar el Segundo Workshop de la red Retecog.Net centrado en la Interacción como tema principal y que tendrá lugar del 17 al 18 de Enero en el Paraninfo de la Universidad de Zaragoza. Varios integrantes de IAS-Research estarán presentes en el workshop, como participantes, organizadores y conferenciantes invitados.

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The Cognitive Domain of a Glider in the Game of Life – IAS-Research Talk by Randall BeerThe Cognitive Domain of a Glider in the Game of Life – IAS-Research Talk by Randall BeerThe Cognitive Domain of a Glider in the Game of Life – IAS-Research Talk by Randall Beer

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Prof. Randall D. Beer (Cognitive Science Program, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University, USA) will be giving an IAS-Research Talk entitled “The Cognitive Domain of a Glider in the Game of Life” on Tuesday the 15th January 2013 at 11.00am at B14 Room at the Carlos Santamaría Building. Prof. Randall D. Beer (Cognitive Science Program, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University, USA) will be giving an IAS-Research Talk entitled “The Cognitive Domain of a Glider in the Game of Life” on Tuesday the 15th January 2013 at 11.00am at B14 Room at the Carlos Santamaría Building. Prof. Randall D. Beer (Cognitive Science Program, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University, USA) will be giving an IAS-Research Talk entitled “The Cognitive Domain of a Glider in the Game of Life” on Tuesday the 15th January 2013 at 11.00am at B14 Room at the Carlos Santamaría Building. Continue reading →

Musical imagery from an embodied and enactive approach – IAS Research Seminar by Ximena GonzalezMusical imagery from an embodied and enactive approach – IAS Research Seminar by Ximena GonzalezMusical imagery from an embodied and enactive approach – IAS Research Seminar by Ximena Gonzalez

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Ximena Gonzalez will be giving a talk entitled ‘Musical imagery from an embodied and enactive approach‘.

Date and place: 11th of December 2012, at 11.00, Room B14, Carlos Santamaría Building.

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Linguistic Movement in Social Coordination: How an Enactivist Might Talk about Talking – IAS Research Seminar by Elena CuffariLinguistic Movement in Social Coordination: How an Enactivist Might Talk about TalkingLinguistic Movement in Social Coordination: How an Enactivist Might Talk about Talking

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Elena Cuffari will be giving a talk entitled ‘Linguistic Movement in Social Coordination: How an Enactivist Might Talk about Talking‘

Date and place: 20th of November 2012, at 11.00, Room B14, Carlos Santamaría Building.

Abstract: In this talk I present some of my doctoral research on theories and models of co-speech gesturing in order to motivate a current project that I will also sketch out: developing an enactive theory of linguistic behavior. The conceptual toolkit that enaction offers (autonomy, adaptation, emergence, sense-making) is put to good use in response to growing recognition of the embodied and multimodal nature of high-order human communication. More specifically, I argue that the enactive perspective allows us to single out against a background of other dynamic dimensions the linguistic contributions to the sense we make in social interactions. I thus work towards what I am calling a ‘non-detachable’ philosophy of language in which we understand language as a distinct yet multifaceted sphere of reflexive coupling practices. By ‘non-detachable’ I mean that we must situate any theoretical account of language or empirical analysis of linguistic behavior firmly within a paradigm that explains the thinking and sense-making of living organisms more broadly. Within this context and informed by certain commitments and concepts, we then ask what specific contributions symbol use, abstraction, reference, and representation make to emergent shared meaning. The phrase ‘sphere of reflexive coupling practices’ indicates that linguistic behavior should be thought of as diverse phenomena unified by characteristics of intentional bodily motion through which language inhabitants appropriate, disclose, collaborate on, correct, interpret, and innovate their surroundings and shared significances.

As some video examples will show (but as passing attention to real-life experience also makes obvious!), hand gesturing while speaking is a ubiquitous practice. I suggest that from the acknowledgement that human utterances are multimodal constructions, two possible routes follow: 1) Assimilate the non-verbal modalities to models of verbal language production and comprehension. Within this tack there are a range of options and debates, but the core move is to add another dimension into a pre-existing theory or paradigm. 2) Rethink language entirely, in order to consider possibilities that may have been missed by measures made for monomodal meaning. Most gesture research describes itself as doing 2) while in practice doing 1). Which presses the question: how can we take seriously the challenge, as Adam Kendon puts it, of thinking “in terms of systems of communicative action as being at least bi-modal — kinesic and vocal always in collaboration” (Kendon 2012, 367)? Additionally to this multimodal requirement, we must also take equally seriously the quality of communicative action as being always multiplayer – thus any explanation of linguistic behavior that relies (only or mostly) on speaker intention will fall short of explaining shared sense-making, a basic attribute of what makes linguistic behavior linguistic.

The best theoretical resources for taking the second route in addressing these challenges – that is, rethinking language and linguistic behavior from the ground up – are found in the enactive cognition paradigm. I see my work as following out the leads offered by De Jaegher and Di Paolo’s definition of social interaction as social coordination (2007, 2010). To elaborate on what this might mean for linguistic behavior, I turn to the works of Maturana (1978), Pattee (1982), Polyani (1968), Gendlin (1962, 1997), and Raczawzek-Leonardi (forthcoming), which suggest related notions of linguistic symbol and linguistic behavior (coordination via symbol use) as continuous with materiality and biological life. As my project unfolds, and particularly in the context of an empirically-based project on interactive methodology that Hanne de Jaegher and I are beginning, I plan to focus on coupling, coordination, and reflexivity as traits of linguistic behavior. It may be this last, reflexivity, particularly understood as the condition for critique and sensitivity to correction, that at once connects linguistic behavior to more basic types of organismic sense-making, while also distinguishing the special capacity humans show in talking together.

 

 

“On the transition from prebiotic vesicles to protocellular membranes” – IAS Research Seminar by Kepa Ruiz-Mirazo and Sara Murillo“On the transition from prebiotic vesicles to protocellular membranes” – IAS Research Seminar by Kepa Ruiz-Mirazo and Sara Murillo“On the transition from prebiotic vesicles to protocellular membranes” – IAS Research Seminar by Kepa Ruiz-Mirazo and Sara Murillo

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Kepa Ruiz-Mirazo and Sara Murillo will be giving a talk entitled ‘On the transition from prebiotic vesicles to protocellular membranes‘.

Date and place: 9th of October 2012, at 11.00, Room B14, Carlos Santamaría Building.

Abstract: It is well known that the generation of a physical border (a membrane) is a crucial step to the generation of a system with some kind of autonomy. Spatial separation of the internal and external medium allows the system to generate a minimally stable micro-environment (controlling concentration, energy-flow and osmosis) in which a metabolic reaction network could lodge inside maintaining the distinctive far from equilibrium dynamics of the autonomous systems.

In this autonomous context, in which the system has to self-constructed and self-maintained, generation of a compartment is achieved by self-assembly molecules which generates a semi-permeable barrier closely connected to the reaction network (being condition and result of it) and playing an active role in the interaction with the environment, regulating and controlling matter and energy exchanges with it.

Nowadays, these kinds of membranes are made of lipids (amphiphilic molecules that possess both polar and apolar parts) but they have a complicated generation process (which, besides, involves complex molecules). However, there is a different sort of molecules with the same amphiphilic properties which are enough simple to be present in the origin of protocellular systems, the fatty acids. Differences between amphiphile composition and mixtures with other simple molecules show differences on the stability, permeability and self-assembling capacities of such membranes. In general, more complexity means a stability profit and a permeability loss but is has been seen that mixtures of simple molecules allow a wide range of both.

Moreover, in order to be efficient and sufficiently robust, the set of endergonic-exergonic couplings underlying work production in the system has to be, in addition, well regulated. Nowadays this is carried out by enzymes, which change activation energies and regulate metabolic reactions in very sophisticated ways. But at the first stages of the origin these systems, the job ought to be done by more rudimentary catalysts, perhaps oligopeptides or smaller multimers, whose formation would be favored in the context of lipidic or fatty acid self-assembled structures, such as primitive vesicles.

In this talk we will focus on two recently published papers showing new out comings of  experiments with amphiphile mixtures and our future experimental projects about insertion of small peptides in the fatty-acids membrane, based on the `lipid-peptide protocell model´ (Ruiz-Mirazo & Mavelli, 2008) previously in sillico developed.