 Hydrothermal fields on the prebiotic earth were proposed as a possible environment for the origin of life. A model was developed suggesting that molecules could evolve in dehydrated films on mineral surfaces before being encapsulated in a hydrated bulk phase. This would allow for the formation of complex molecular structures through chemical evolution with the dehydrated phase acting as a concentration medium. These structures would then be captured in lipid vesicles when the system was rehydrated, leading to the emergence of protocells. This article was authored by Bruce Dahmer and David Dahmer.