Testing thousands of RNA enzymes helps find first 'twister ribozyme' in mammals

The "RNA world" hypothesis proposes that the earliest life on Earth may have been based on RNA—a single-stranded molecule similar in many ways to DNA—like some modern viruses. This is because, like DNA, RNA can carry genetic information, but, like a protein, it can also act as an enzyme, initiating or accelerating reactions. While the activity of a few RNA enzymes—called ribozymes—have been tested on a case-by-case basis, there are thousands more that have been computationally predicted to exist in organisms ranging from bacteria to plants and animals. Now, a new method, developed by Penn State researchers, can test the activity of thousands of these predicted ribozymes in a single experiment.