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Nature 459, 171-172 (14 May 2009) | doi:10.1038/459171a; Published online 13 May 2009
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Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Rice University
- Houston, Texas, USA
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- Shinshu University
- Ueda, Nagano 386-8567 Japan
Origins of life: Systems chemistry on early Earth
Jack W. Szostak1
Abstract
Understanding how life emerged on Earth is one of the greatest challenges facing modern chemistry. A new way of looking at the synthesis of RNA sidesteps a thorny problem in the field.
It is well established that the evolution of life passed through an early stage in which RNA played central roles in both inheritance and catalysis1 — roles that are currently played by DNA and protein enzymes, respectively. But where did the RNA come from?
- Jack W. Szostak is in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
Email: szostak@molbio.mgh.harvard.edu
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