Kinetics overcome thermodynamics in primitive analogs of the reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle

Chem. Sci., 2026, Advance Article DOI: 10.1039/D5SC05872D, Edge Article Vignesh Sathyaseelan, John Morgan, Brett M. Savoie The reverse/reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle is a highly conserved CO2 fixation pathway and candidate for prebiotic carbon fixation. The kinetic viability of prebiotic hypotheses are studied here using reaction exploration algorithms.