# Harnessing prebiotic formamide chemistry: a novel platform for antiviral exploration

## TL;DR

This study explores a new antiviral strategy inspired by ancient chemical processes, using formamide and orotic acid to create compounds that stop viruses from replicating.

## Contribution

A novel antiviral platform is introduced using prebiotic formamide chemistry doped with orotic acid derivatives.

## Key findings

- Formamide-based mixtures with orotic acid derivatives disrupt replication of multiple viruses.
- The compounds show minimal toxicity to eukaryotic cells.
- This approach offers unconventional mechanisms for antiviral discovery.

## Abstract

Viruses and host cells are intricately connected through a shared “chemical language” that may trace back to the prebiotic chemistry of early Earth. In this study, we present an innovative platform for antiviral exploration inspired by this primordial chemical framework. By “doping” the formamide-based prebiotic chemistry model with orotic acid derivatives, we generated complex, non-natural chemical mixtures capable of disrupting the replication of multiple viruses with minimal or no toxicity for eukaryotic cells. This strategy underscores the potential of an evolution-inspired approach in antiviral discovery, offering a novel avenue for identifying new agents with unconventional mechanisms that might elude traditional discovery methods.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-14001-3.