Making life from scratch in a biochemical laboratory? Implementation of evolutionary properties in biomolecular networks, ethnographic investigation, and epistemological reflection ; Fabriquer la vie dans un laboratoire de biochimie ? Expérimentations sur les propriétés évolutives de réseaux biomoléculaires, enquête ethnographique, et réflexion épistémologique

The question of abiogenesis (i.e. the origin of life) is a cross-cutting issue at the intersection of scientific, anthropological and philosophical concerns. This interdisciplinary thesis combines approaches from the natural sciences, the humanities and social sciences to present experimental biochemical results, their context of production and the conceptual landscape in which they are embedded. The field of origin-of-life research encompasses a multiplicity of approaches, including strategies to build evolving physico-chemical systems capable of acquiring new properties, which researchers associate with vital processes, such as metabolism or reproduction. However, since there is no consensus on the definition of life, the meaning of the synthesized artefacts can only be understood by linking their physico-chemical functioning to the epistemic culture of those who produce them. By taking as a case study the biochemistry laboratory of the ESPCI Paris - PSL, we (i) present experimental results of evolutionary processes in biomolecular networks, (ii) highlight the human context of this research on the origin of life, (iii) and propose a conceptual philosophical framework of the transition from the inert to the living. This leads to the elaboration of the concept of "protolives" referring to objects made and interpreted as evolving towards a presumed living state. The study of protolives in the laboratory thus allows us to learn more about abiogenesis, but also about the conceptions of life of the researchers involved. (i) In this thesis, we present the experimental realization of two protolives: a system of microfluidic droplets that grow and divide according to their chemical composition; and a system of catalytic RNAs that reproduce molecularly, generating new RNA species in parallel. The presented results show the possibility of bringing out Darwinian evolutionary properties in non-living synthetic systems, thus allowing the understanding of stages of abiogenesis. (ii) From an anthropological point of view, we ...