All articles tagged with #rna world hypothesis
Scientists from UCL have made progress in replicating RNA in laboratory conditions similar to early Earth by preventing the RNA double helix from zipping together, providing insights into how the first living organisms might have formed during the Earth's ancient 'RNA World' era. Although they have only achieved partial replication so far, this research marks a significant step toward understanding the origins of life.
A new study proposes a co-evolutionary model for the origin of life, suggesting that multiple molecules like peptides and nucleic acids evolved together, challenging traditional theories like the primordial soup and RNA world hypotheses. Researchers highlight the role of peptide amyloids in stabilizing and catalyzing early molecular interactions, potentially paving the way for life on Earth.
Leading origin-of-life researcher Gerald Joyce's recent paper in PNAS, "RNA-catalyzed evolution of catalytic RNA," has been lauded as a breakthrough in understanding life's origin through natural processes. However, critics argue that the results only demonstrate the necessity of intelligent agency in life's origin. Joyce's experiment required investigator intervention at every step, using conditions and procedures that could never have occurred on the early Earth. The research challenges the plausibility of the RNA World hypothesis and demonstrates that evolving systems of RNAs could not have existed without constant intervention.