Overview

• A UCL team led by Matthew Powner reports RNA aminoacylation in neutral water using pantetheine-linked thioesters, a feat long sought since the 1970s.
• Introducing an aminothioacid with an oxidant then produced a peptide bond from the aminoacylated RNA, with both steps demonstrated in the same reaction vessel.
• Structural context mattered, as double-stranded RNA steered attachment to the 3′ end, the site used in modern biology.
• The chemistry is argued to be feasible in concentrated surface waters such as pools, ponds or lakes rather than the dilute open ocean.
• The work is presented as uniting the RNA world and thioester world frameworks, with next priorities including sequence specificity toward a genetic code; funding came from EPSRC, the Simons Foundation and the Royal Society.