RNA folding at low temperatures sheds light on primordial biochemistry

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biological molecule with crucial functions in the genetics of organisms and plays a key role in the origin and evolution of life. With a composition quite similar to DNA, RNA is able to perform a variety of biological functions conditioned by its spatial conformation, i.e. the way the molecule folds in on itself. Now, a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences describes for the first time how the process of RNA folding at low temperatures may open up a novel perspective on primordial biochemistry and the evolution of life on the planet.