Have Scientists Finally Figured Out The Origin Of Life?

Last Updated:August 31, 2025, 05:37 IST

The origin of life has long posed a ‘chicken-and-egg’ problem

This discovery is groundbreaking because it connects two major origin-of-life theories: the ‘RNA world’ and the ‘thioester world’, where thioesters are considered the energy source for early life. Representational image

Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in understanding one of biology’s most fundamental questions: how the building blocks of life could have spontaneously assembled. A recent study published in Nature outlines a plausible chemical pathway showing how RNA molecules and amino acids, precursors to proteins, might have combined through random interactions to create the first proteins on Earth.

The origin of life has long posed a “chicken-and-egg” problem. DNA contains the instructions for life, while proteins are the molecular “workhorses” responsible for executing a cell’s functions, including DNA replication. This dilemma led to the “RNA world” hypothesis, suggesting that RNA, a versatile molecule capable of storing genetic information and catalysing chemical reactions, was central to early life. However, a plausible mechanism for how RNA could have started directing protein synthesis was missing.

A team of chemists at University College London, led by Professor Matthew Powner, has made significant strides in solving this puzzle. They demonstrated that amino acids could be “activated” by a high-energy sulphur-bearing compound called a thioester in a neutral pH watery environment. This activated amino acid could then spontaneously attach to an RNA molecule. The researchers showed that this reaction is selective and could have occurred under conditions believed to exist on early Earth, such as in freshwater pools or lakes.

This discovery is groundbreaking because it connects two major origin-of-life theories: the “RNA world” and the “thioester world”, where thioesters are considered the energy source for early life. The activated amino acid used in the experiment is derived from coenzyme A, which exists in all living cells today. This suggests a direct evolutionary link between early metabolic processes, the genetic code, and protein construction.

Although many questions remain, such as how RNA sequences began to code for specific amino acids, this research offers a compelling and elegant solution to a longstanding mystery, bringing science closer to understanding how life emerged from non-living matter.

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