成人直播鈥檚 Lei Lei publishes study on the chemical evolution of life
The 成人直播鈥檚 Lei Lei, Ph.D., professor of molecular biology, has co-authored a new study published in the journal exploring the role of transfer RNA (tRNA) in the origin of life on Earth.
The research, conducted in collaboration with Zachary Burton, Ph.D., professor emeritus at Michigan State University, builds on their existing work investigating the evolution of the genetic code.
The study, titled examines how life may have emerged through a stepwise chemical process, rather than by random chance. Lei and Burton argue that the history of life鈥檚 origins is embedded in the sequences of tRNA, a molecule essential for translating genetic information into proteins. By analyzing ancient tRNA patterns, they suggest that early life relied on structured RNA sequences that eventually led to the first cells.
Their findings indicate that primitive tRNA molecules likely formed through the combination of smaller RNA segments called minihelices. These molecules played a crucial role in the synthesis of polyglycine, an early protein that may have facilitated the formation of protocells. The research also suggests that tRNA was the foundation of the genetic code, with its structure predating both messenger RNA and DNA in the evolutionary timeline.
Lei鈥檚 latest publication follows the recent release of 鈥淭he God Molecule: Evolution of tRNA and the Genetic Code,鈥 a book he co-authored with Burton.
, the book delves into the molecular history of tRNA and its significance in the emergence of life. Lei鈥檚 work continues to contribute to a growing body of research that seeks to understand the fundamental mechanisms that gave rise to biological complexity.