Salk Institute reveals self-replicating RNA molecule evidence
Researchers at the Salk Institute have unveiled a 45-base long RNA molecule capable of self-replication, providing new evidence for the RNA World hypothesis, which posits that early life may have originated from simple RNA molecules. This RNA enzyme not only replicates functional RNA strands with high accuracy but also allows for the emergence of new variants, suggesting a molecular basis for early evolutionary processes. The findings, published in the _Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences_, could facilitate laboratory recreations of RNA-based life.