Alfonso Luis Herrera (1868–1942) was a Mexican biologist, author, educator and founder of several institutions in Mexico City.

He studied pharmacy at the National School of Medicine, graduating in 1889 by which time he had already published several papers in Zoology and Ornithology.

[citation needed] He developed an experimental science called plasmogeny, concerned with the origin of protoplasm, the living material of which all animals and plants are made.

He reasoned that since life was the result of purely physico-chemical phenomena, it should be possible to create a structure with similar properties to natural protoplasm out of relatively simple organic and inorganic compounds in the laboratory.

To this end he conducted experiments to create artificial cells ("protocells") using substances such as olive oil, sodium hydroxide, gasoline, and thiocyanate.