Inosine could be a potential route to the first RNA, Harvard study says
Prehistoric Earth, bombarded with asteroids, rife with bubbling geothermal pools, would seem an inhospitable place. But somewhere, the right chemicals combined in the precise sequence needed to form the building blocks of life. How? For decades, scientists have attempted to create miniature replicas of infant Earth in the lab. There, they hunt for the chemical pathways that led to life on Earth. It’s attractive to chase our origin story. But this pursuit can bring more than just excitement. Knowledge of how Earth built its first cells could inform the search for extraterrestrial life. If researchers identify the ingredients and environment required to spark spontaneous life, scientists could search for similar conditions on planets across the universe. Life needs three major components: protein, DNA, and RNA. Many origin-of-life researchers believe that RNA formed first, though some hypothesize that proteins and polymers predated genetic information. A complex but versatile molecule, RNA stores and transmits...