Molecules that combine elements of RNA and DNA, so-called chimeric molecules, may have been an important step in the emergence of life on Earth from the primordial soup that existed billions of years ...

NASA probed an asteroid and found an ancient repository of ingredients for life. The findings, published in two papers in the journals Nature and Nature Astronomy on Wednesday, point to a missing link ...

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

Sugars essential for life were found for the first time alongside “space gum” on an asteroid hurtling towards Earth, indicating that our universe could be teeming with life, according to new research.

The origin of life continues to remain a matter of debate. The ribonucleic acid (RNA) world hypothesis proposes that 'ribozymes' which store genetic information and possess catalytic functions may ...

In living organisms today, complex molecules like RNA and DNA are constructed with the help of enzymes. So how did these molecules form before life (and enzymes) existed? Why did some molecules end up ...

SANTA CRUZ, CA — Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have determined the three-dimensional structure of an RNA enzyme, or “ribozyme,” that carries out a fundamental reaction ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. For a molecule of RNA, the world is a dangerous place. Unlike DNA, which can persist for millions of years in its remarkably stable, ...