Metabolic homeostasis and growth in abiotic cells

Metabolism is believed to have emerged from ancient autotrophic pathways fueled by volcanic gases as carbon and energy sources. Variants of these pathways remain in modern autotrophs in the deepest branches of the tree of life. The energy metabolism of modern autotrophs resembles the geological interactions of H₂ and CO₂ in hydrothermal vents, pointing to a metabolic origin of biochemistry at the interface of the lithosphere and hydrosphere. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of self-sustaining, self-amplifying CO₂ fixation by H₂ in hydrothermal pores using a first-principle approach that is consistent with physicochemical constraints and chemistry of prebiotic carbon fixation. We identify the conditions for the emergence of metabolism on the early Earth, revealing the fundamental nature of biological carbon fixation.