Incredible demonstration of spontaneous RNA copying - from chemistry to pre-life in one pot

Are you interested in self-assembly, peptide catalysts or non-enzymatic RNA processes? If so, we are looking for 2 PhD students (one funded by HFSP)! Come join us at -! FindAPhD Chemjobber Peptides -> euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/778779 Liposomes/RNA -> euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/778782

This was such a strong network and doing so much great work. It is totally inexplicable and doesn't bode well for future origins of life research in the region. Very sad. Dieter Braun and colleagues worked so hard on this!

Beautiful first structure of an RNA polymerase ribozyme, helping us understand how a molecule might self-replicate. Outstanding Ewan McRae Chris Wan

Interested in RNA structure, function, evolution and origins of life. We are hiring! Postdoc opportunity in my group at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK: nature.com/naturecareers/… Please RT!

Self-replication is a defining hallmark of all living systems and how it emerged - early on in the origin of life - remains a fundamental question in biology and chemistry. Postdoc opportunity in my lab: nature.com/naturecareers/… Please RT!

Just published - check out this Snapshot and accompanying animation describing the biogenesis of the 40S ribosomal subunit. Animation was a collaboration w Jochen Bassler & Ed Hurt (U Heidelberg). View the supplemental movie for version w narration! sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Kakoti & Joyce prove that RNA polymerase ribozymes can recognise RNA without base-pairing to it, so in theory could copy any RNA sequence pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ac…

Exciting demonstration of amino acid attachment to RNA, dependent on side chain identity and triplet sequence. This could underpin a potential chemical origin of the genetic code.

PDRA opportunity in our group UCL Chemistry to develop & characterise ribozymes that harness primordial chemistries. 28 months, funded by BBSRC & Royal Society; org chem or mol bio background. Apply by 7th August: tinyurl.com/4bhhf2v2

📢 iDEC Webinar 2023! Join us for an exciting session with Dr. Porebski and Dr. Tian, as they introduce two new powerful Directed Evolution techniques!🚀 Don't miss out on the captivating talks! #DirectedEvolution #iDEC2023 Registration: eventbrite.com/e/idec-webinar…

It's #chemnobel season, so your reminder that DNA synthesis/Marvin Caruthers needs to win! Without DNA synthesis there is NO *PCR*, *sequencing*, *cloning*, *CRISPR*, *siRNA*, *synthetic biology*, *mRNA vaccines*, *nucleic acid therapeutics*, *Nanotech* What more am I missing?

Porebski et al. hit the motherlode of antibody affinity data by repurposing a DNA sequencer - enough data to both identify better antibodies, and then improve them using machine learning.

New paper from my group out in x.com/natBME. Outstanding work by Ben Porebski and great collaboration with x.com/AstraZeneca. We describe a new high-throughput strategy for biomolecular discovery, which we call deep screening.

New paper out from my group pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pn…. CryoEM structure of the triplet polymerase ribozyme apoenzyme, with improved resolution from biorxiv.org/content/10.110…. Great collaboration with Ewan McRae and Ebbe Sloth Andersen

Very happy to announce that I've been appointed a proleptic Lecturer in Organic Chemistry & Chemical Biology UCL Chemistry. Great to be part of such a friendly and supportive department, looking forward to see what attwaterlab.uk can learn about RNA chemistry & evolution

I'm currently looking to recruit a PhD student interested in synthetic polymers (ucl.ac.uk/chemistry/stud…, 1 week left to deadline!) and a postdoc to study models of primordial biology (bit.ly/48OnSOu)

4-year studentship available in my lab at King's Chemistry working at the interface of fundamental synthetic biology and therapeutic biotechnology development - come & join me in the XNA world! Please RT findaphd.com/phds/project/c…

A compound vital to all living things has been formed through simple reactions in a lab, suggesting it played a role at the outset of life, finds a new study led by Prof Matthew Powner, Jasper Fairchild UCL Chemistry UCL Mathematical & Physical Sciences & Saidul Islam King's Chemistry ucl.ac.uk/news/2024/feb/…

Life is easier with triplets nature.com/articles/s4155…