Sheref S Mansy et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 105(36), 13351-13355 (2008-09-05)
The earliest cells may have consisted of a self-replicating genetic polymer encapsulated within a self-replicating membrane vesicle. Here, we show that vesicles composed of simple single-chain amphiphiles such as fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and fatty-acid glycerol esters are extremely thermostable