How RNA reveals clues to life’s origins on Earth
By 
Clare Sansom2026-02-02T11:32:00
The discovery of catalytic RNA transformed our understanding of life’s beginnings. Clare Sansom explores how the RNA world hypothesis bridges the gap between non-living chemistry and the first cells
Life began long before DNA, proteins or even cells existed, but how chemistry crossed the threshold into biology remains one of science’s hardest questions. This feature explores the RNA world hypothesis, which argues that a single molecule once carried both information and catalytic power, laying the foundations for all life on Earth. From ribozymes and primordial chemistry to competing ideas about life’s first self‑replicators and the search for alien biosignatures, it traces how modern science is piecing together a story written billions of years ago.