DNA and RNA possess two features believed essential for life: they display heredity (pass on genetic information) and they can adapt over time (Darwinian evolution). Now, scientists have shown that heredity and evolution can be performed by molecules other than DNA and RNA. Their findings, appearing in the current issue of Science, shed new light […]
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When A Bad Fit Improves Accuracy
Molecular “computations” are essential for the survival of all organisms. To work, the molecules must pinpoint and then bind to specific counterparts while swimming in a thick, erratic molecular stew – a bit like finding a friend in a busy subway station during rush hour. In the traditional view of molecular recognition, the binding molecules […]