The new findings strengthen the "RNA world" hypothesis that describes how the first life on Earth could have used RNA instead ...

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is a type of molecule and a key building block of the ribosome, the cell's protein-making machinery. rRNA accounts for much of the RNA in a cell, and it's crucial for life. It's ...

Ribosomal subunit assembly and biogenesis constitute a fundamental process vital for cellular protein synthesis across all domains of life. This complex, multi-step pathway involves the transcription ...

Swedish scientists retrieved RNA from an extinct Tasmanian tiger to help trace the genes that were active in the animal’s ...

How does a cell know when it’s been damaged? A molecular alarm, set off by mutated RNA and colliding ribosomes, signals danger. When the sun shines on your skin, what does it hit? When it causes a ...

We’re celebrating 180 years of Scientific American. Explore our legacy of discovery and look ahead to the future. In 1957, just four years after Francis Crick and other scientists solved the riddle of ...

In the microscopic world of bacteria, gene transfer is a powerful mechanism that can alter cellular function, drive antibiotic resistance and even shape entire ecosystems. Now an interdisciplinary ...