The transition from simple chemistry to the complex biology of molecules that gave rise to life is a puzzle that scientists ...

Using a novel method, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers map 16 types of simultaneous changes in dozens of samples; ...

In his letter to the editor, Howard Deutsch writes that he has never heard anyone claim or conjecture that “ribonucleic acids were the first molecules of life” (C&EN, May 14, page 5). In fact, this ...

Scientists successfully extract RNA from a 130-year-old Tasmanian tiger, thylacine, revealing how its genes functioned before its extinction.

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 ...

Long before dinosaurs munched on leafy greens or photosynthesizing algae soaked up the sun, a lifeless soup of simple molecules floated through the watery and rocky landscape of early planet Earth.