RNA World Meets Snowball Earth

摘要

Origin of life theories have produced numerous schools of thought, two of which are termed RNA World and Snowball Earth. Complex organic molecules can be produced by RNA catalysis. This chemistry would be hindered by ice formation that would sequester moecules in the frozen water matrix. We present experimental data showing that RNA retains antifreeze properties that would enable the exchange of reactants/products of the catalytic reactions.