RNA recreated in the laboratory from inorganic compounds

RNA recreated in the laboratory from inorganic compounds


Researchers at the University of Manchester, lead by John Sutherland, illustrated in an article published in Nature, the process which created ribonucleotides (units of RNA, the molecule basis of all life processes) starting from simple elements, such as those that were presumably the primordial soup, the aqueous solution from which have formed the first organic molecules four billion years ago.

So far, in experiments of this type are started immediately by adding a phosphate sugars and nitrogen bases. In this study, scientists started by the most simple and have played the environmental conditions by heating the solution. BY the solution is obtained a residue of hybrid molecules, which were re-hydrated and heated, allowed to evaporate and irradiated with UV light in order to reproduce the cycle of the ecosystem primordial environment.

At each step the resulting molecules seemed increasingly complex and the addition of phosphate end, which has functioned as a catalyst and regulator of acidity "Surprisingly it was a ribonucleotide format!" as reported by Sutherland and continues "We suspect that there is something out there good, but it took 12 years to discover.

In twenty years of attempts had shown no concrete evidence of the formation of RNA from the reaction of simple molecules and chemicals while known for some time.

Now because of this research is another step to demonstrate the validity of the theory that places the RNA as the starting point of the life on Earth, although still not shown that this method can create molecules of RNA complete.

Sutherland, however, hopes to further develop his research to solve the doubts remained.