Dr. Claudia Bonfio

Biography

Claudia Bonfio's lab investigates the origins of life through the lens of chemistry, focusing on the primitive cells that formed in the absence of complex biochemical machinery. The research explores early Earth chemistry that gave rise to simple, functional compartments such as lipid membranes and membraneless coacervates, which are essential for key biochemical processes. A central theme of her research is the non-enzymatic diversification of lipids, challenging the notion that complex cell membranes only appeared with the evolution of lipid-synthesizing enzymes. Instead, her work investigates how diverse lipids can form spontaneously under prebiotic conditions, creating membranes with rich phase behavior and dynamic properties. Bonfio studies how primitive membranes can support crucial functions such as RNA replication, molecular encapsulation, and membrane fusion and division. Additionally, her research includes examining coacervates—phase-separated droplets composed of simple peptides and nucleic acids—which provide an alternative model for early compartmentalization. By integrating insights from prebiotic chemistry, membrane biophysics, and systems biochemistry, she aims to uncover the physical and chemical principles that shaped the emergence of cells in a broader context of synthetic biology and biomimetic design.

Research Interests