New findings from the Salk Institute provide strong evidence for the RNA World hypothesis, revealing an RNA enzyme that accurately replicates and evolves RNA strands. This discovery underscores RNA’s potential role in early evolution and moves scientists closer to synthesizing RNA-based life, offering insights into the origins and complexity of life. Credit: SciTechDaily.
The findings also bring scientists one step closer to re-creating RNA-based life in the laboratory. By modeling these primitive environments in the lab, scientists can directly test hypotheses about how life may have started on Earth, or even other planets. Scientists like Joyce have been exploring this idea for years, with a particular focus on RNA polymerase ribozymes—RNA molecules that can make copies of other RNA strands. Over the last decade, Joyce and his team have been developing RNA polymerase ribozymes in the lab, using a form of directed evolution to produce new versions capable of replicating larger molecules. But most have come with a fatal flaw: they aren’t able to copy the sequences with a high enough.
The scientists are also interested in what else might occur once this mini “RNA World” has gained more autonomy.
Source: Tech Daily Report (techdailyreport.net)
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: SciTechDaily1 - 🏆 84. / 68 Read more »
Source: SciTechDaily1 - 🏆 84. / 68 Read more »
Source: SciTechDaily1 - 🏆 84. / 68 Read more »
Source: SciTechDaily1 - 🏆 84. / 68 Read more »
Source: SciTechDaily1 - 🏆 84. / 68 Read more »
Source: SciTechDaily1 - 🏆 84. / 68 Read more »