Replicating RNA

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute have made important steps toward understanding how life originated by shedding light on the ‘RNA World’ hypothesis. The ‘RNA World’ refers to the idea that life on Earth went through a stage where RNA was used to store information and act as a catalyst, much like DNA and proteins are used in organisms today. A critical component of this stage would be that RNA molecules would have to replicate themselves. The team at Scripps has now synthesized RNA enzymes that can replicate themselves without the help of additional...

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Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

January 15, 2009 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal

New World Frogs

A new paper on the evolutionary relationships among New World tropical frogs was published online this week in PNAS. The authors, including members of the NAI Penn State Team, used DNA sequence and molecular clock analyses to further understand the frogs’ origin as more likely by dispersal over water from South America, than via land connections with North and South America.

Source: [Link]

June 6, 2007 / Posted by: Shige Abe

Microbial Diversity in the Deep Sea

NAI PI of the Marine Biological Laboratory Team, Mitch Sogin, and his team have published a new paper in PNAS documenting astonishing new findings of microbial diversity in the deep sea. The findings are the result of a new DNA technique called “454 tag sequencing.”

Image courtesy of Micro*scope

Source: [Link]

July 31, 2006 / Posted by: Shige Abe