RNA was probably the first informational molecule. Now chemists have demonstrated that alternation of wet and dry conditions could have sufficed to drive the prebiotic synthesis of the RNA nucleosides ...

The topic of chemical evolution and the origins of life is a primary focus of astrobiology, and is an essential part of understanding life’s origins on Earth and the potential for life beyond our ...

Washington, DC— Pairing cutting-edge chemistry with artificial intelligence, a multidisciplinary team of scientists found ...

American Frances H. Arnold has won half of the 2018 Nobel Prize in chemistry for her work in changing how chemists produce new enzymes, sharing the prize with another American, George Smith, and Sir ...

New research reveals that nickel and urea once throttled Earth’s earliest oxygen producers, delaying the planet’s ...

For 3.7 billion years, nature has used the power of evolution to shape every living thing on Earth, creating a vast diversity of molecules with an ever-increasing array of abilities. Three scientists ...

This year, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognizes that when scientists need to improve enzymes and antibodies, scientists sometimes find that the most rational thing they can do is abandon rational ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Thinking like Darwin won three scientists the 2018 Nobel Prize in ...

The research, published in Nature Chemistry, reveals how evolution makes designer enzymes more powerful, paving the way to tailor-made catalysts for green chemistry. The researchers will now use their ...

Chemical reactions driven by the geological conditions on the early Earth might have led to the prebiotic evolution of self-replicating molecules. Scientists now report on a hydrothermal mechanism ...