Information is one of the first words that comes up whenever people try to define life. Any living system must be able to store information and pass them on to the next generation. The stored information are instructions used to build the structures and functions necessary for cellular life to operate such as metabolism, membranes, … Continue reading Origin of protein translation: a factory that built itself
Since the very beginning of life, organisms have needed a way to store and pass on information. Current knowledge suggests that the first form of genetic information was stored in ribonucleic acid (RNA). Over time, life invented DNA, a chemically more stable molecule, for long-term information storage and faithful inheritance across generations. This genetic information … Continue reading DNA Replication and Convergent Evolution: How Life Reinvented a Core Process
You probably had a common cold sometime in the last three months. Surely, you wondered which of your close contacts was the origin of the infection. I will give an answer, but I will start from the very beginning. In this article, I will discuss the evolution of viruses and how it differs from that … Continue reading Viruses: The Ultimate Genetic Engineers
RNA biology has won two consecutive Nobel Prizes in 2023 and 2024. Along with other groundbreaking discoveries, these Nobel Prize-winning advancements in RNA biology have significantly impacted the field of molecular biology and continue to challenge some of our central ideas about life and gene regulation. One of the best examples supporting this notion is … Continue reading The Evolution of the Central Dogma: Insights from RNA Biology
Transcription regulation lets an organism "pull out" from its genome what it needs when it needs it and "put it back" until it’s needed again. However, some organisms prefer to “keep” everything in front of them and use it on the spot. They essentially transcribe everything at once, with some differences that we’ll discuss later, … Continue reading Breaking the Mold: Exploring Polycistronic Transcription in Eukaryotes
Supervising a PhD student is a weighty responsibility that plays a pivotal role in preparing and shaping the next generation of scholars and researchers. A PhD supervisor guides the student through their doctoral studies, ensuring that they are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to succeed in their future endeavors in academia. At … Continue reading Hands-On vs. Hands-Off: Finding the Right Approach in PhD Supervision
Macromolecules' stability governs and affects most cellular processes, well-being, and the life cycle. Beyond the cellular level, it plays a key role in development, physiological responses, and homeostasis. The two sister nucleic acids, RNA and DNA, share many similarities, but they differ greatly in their respective half-lives. DNA is an extremely stable molecule that can … Continue reading RNA Stability: From Transient Messengers to Resilient Architects
RNA Stuff 