Enzyme-free replication of RNA sequences (A01)

• Subject Area: Biological and Biomimetic Chemistry
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 521256690

The ability to pass genetic information from one generation to the next is a key capability of life. Without this capability, there is no basis for evolution beyond compositional memory. The most likely candidate for encoding genetic information is RNA, and the process ensuring the transfer of genetic information to the next generation is replication. The goal of this project is enzyme- and ribozyme-free replication of one helical turn of RNA, building on the advances made in genetic copying. Successfully demonstrating RNA replication based on smaller molecules will close a critical gap in our understanding of the origin of life, and may also lead to new techniques with diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 392: Molecular evolution in prebiotic environments
• Applicant Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Clemens Richert, since 1/2024