Chemistry & Biochemistry
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RNA enzyme structure offers a glimpse into the origins of life
UCSC researchers have determined the three-dimensional structure of an RNA enzyme, or “ribozyme,” that carries out a fundamental reaction required to make new RNA molecules. Their results provide insight into what may have been the first self-replicating
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UCSC biochemist Olof Einarsdottir honored by American Association for the Advancement of Science
Olof Einarsdottir, professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has been awarded the distinction of AAAS Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as a fellow is an honor bestowed upon members of AAAS by their peers. Einarsdottir is among 449 fellows elected…
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Atomic-resolution structure of a ribozyme yields insights into RNA catalysis and the origins of life
Which came first, nucleic acids or proteins? This question is molecular biology’s version of the “chicken-or-the-egg” riddle. Genes made of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) contain the instructions for making proteins, but enzymes made of proteins are needed to replicate genes. For those who try to understand how life originated, this once seemed an intractable…