Unveiling the RNA world
Beyond its possible connections to the hypothesized early ‘RNA World,’ understanding the importance of RNA sequence in ribozyme function and evolution by working backwards from now could enable us to ascertain why the core of biology exists as it does today and whether alternative functions and structures could be viable.
Beyond its possible connections to the hypothesized early ‘RNA World,’ understanding the importance of RNA sequence in ribozyme function and evolution by working backwards from now could enable us to ascertain why the core of biology exists as it does today and whether alternative functions and structures could be viable.
In this research area (3), we use evolutionary approaches to find specifically new ribozymes that attach the new building blocks we design in the area (1) to tRNA with a new chemical bond.
In this research area (3), we use evolutionary approaches to find specifically new ribozymes that attach the new building blocks we design in the area (1) to tRNA with a new chemical bond.
This aim will yield efficient and accurate in vitro translation systems for new building blocks.
This aim will yield efficient and accurate in vitro translation systems for new building blocks.
Steps include: charging tRNAs with aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, binding of elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) to the aminoacyl-tRNA, delivery of the aminoacyl-tRNA to an open coding channel (e.g., the amber codon, UAG), and amino acid (AA) acceptance by the ribosome.