In the lecture we shall explore the role of the fundamental symmetries of physics in the molecular origin of life - in particular the space, time and matter - antimatter symmetries expressed in C, P, T symmetries and their combinations (CP, CPT). In particular, molecular and biomolecular chirality are related to these symmetries and may be considered to be molecular "fossils" of evolution. The two key concepts here are the tunnel effect (introduced by F. Hund for the stereomutation of chiral molecules in 1927 [1]) and the influence of the electroweak parity violation suggested already by Yamagata in 1966 to be of potential relevance for biomolecular chirality [2]. In the lecture we will mainly report about the recent efforts of the Zürich group related to the theoretical discovery (in 1996 [3]) that parity violating electroweak potentials are orders of magnitude larger than previously calculated. We will provide the general theoretical background [4-6] as well as recent applications [7-10]. We shall mention current spectroscopic efforts on molecular parity violation [11-13], as well as possible conclusions to be drawn for the biomolecular evolution of life [14-16].

[1] F. Hund, Z. Phys., 1927. 43, p. 788-844, 805-826.
[2] Y. Yamagata, J. Theor. Biol., 1966, p. 495-498.
[3] A. Bakasov, T. K. Ha, M. Quack, "Ab initio calculation of molecular energies including parity violating interactions", p. 287-296, in "Chemical Evolution, Physics of the Origin and Evolution of Life" (Eds.: J. Chela-Flores, F. Raulin), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 1996
[4] A. Bakasov, T. K. Ha, M. Quack, J. Chem. Phys., 1998. 109, p. 7263-7285.
[5] M. Quack, Nova Acta Leopoldina, 1999. 81, p. 137-173.
[6] R. Berger, M. Quack, J. Chem. Phys., 2000. 112, p. 3148-3158.
[7] M. Quack, J. Stohner, Phys. Rev. Lett., 2000. 84, p. 3807-3810.
[8] R. Berger, M. Quack, J. Stohner, Angew. Chem.-Int. Edit., 2001. 40, p. 1667-1670.
[9] M. Gottselig, D. Luckhaus, M. Quack, J. Stohner, M. Willeke, Helv. Chim. Acta, 2001. 84, p. 1846-1861.
[10] R. Berger, M. Gottselig, M. Quack, M. Willeke, Angew. Chem.-Int. Edit., 2001. 40, p. 4195-4198.
[11] M. Quack, Chem. Phys. Lett., 1986. 132, p. 147-153.
[12] M. Quack, Angew. Chem.-Int. Edit., 2002. (in press), and literature cited therein.
[13] M. Quack and J. Stohner, Chirality, 2001. 13, p. 745-753, and literature cited therein.
[14] M. Quack, Angew. Chem.-Int. Edit 1989, 28, p. 571-586.
[15] M. Quack, "The symmetries of time and space and their violation in chiral molecules and molecular processes", p. 172-208, in "Conceptual Tools for Understanding Nature. Proc. 2nd Int. Symp. of Science and Epistemology Seminar, Trieste April 1993", (Eds. G. Costa, G. Calucci, M. Giorgi), World Scientific Publ.: Singapore 1995.
[16] M. Quack, "Molecular femtosecond quantum dynamics between less than yoctoseconds and more than days: Experiment and theory", p. 781-818, in "Femtosecond Chemistry, Proc. Berlin Conf. Femtosecond Chemistry, March 1993" (Eds.: J. Manz, L. Woeste), Verlag Chemie:,Weinheim, 1994.