The new findings strengthen the "RNA world" hypothesis that describes how the first life on Earth could have used RNA instead ...

New experiments suggest RNA, life’s essential molecule, could have formed naturally on early Earth and even arrived from ...

A breakthrough experiment, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offers compelling support for ...

In an investigation to find out what sparked life on Earth, researchers have discovered that RNA formed through surprisingly ...

New research shows how RNA, a key molecule for life, may have formed on early Earth using simple chemistry and materials delivered by asteroid impacts, linking space science with the origins of life ...

In both humans and bacteria, viral infections lead to the activation of enzymes that generate cyclic nucleotides as messengers to start the immune response. However, how bacteria sense viral invasion ...

The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life’s Deepest Secrets. Thomas Cech. W.W. Norton; 304 pages; $28.99 and £23.99 All this is the subject of Thomas Cech’s new book, “The Catalyst”. The author ...

Researchers have visualized how a large RNA molecule assembles itself into a functional machine. RNA is a central biological macromolecule, now widely harnessed in medicine and nanotechnology. Like ...

Small, biologically inert molecules can be converted into bioactive degraders that selectively downregulate disease-causing RNAs. By attaching an RNA molecular recognition element to a second compound ...

A gene called MYC is implicated in the majority of cancers, but unfortunately it’s often considered “undruggable.” In a new study scientists have developed a molecule that chops up the RNA of this ...

An extremely small RNA molecule created by a University of Colorado team can catalyze a key reaction needed to synthesize proteins, the building blocks of life. The findings could be a substantial ...