Who Discovered RNA?
While pinpointing a single discoverer of RNA is inaccurate, the understanding and characterization of RNA evolved through numerous contributions. The discovery of RNA's role in protein synthesis and its diverse functions happened in stages involving multiple scientists.
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1960s: Messenger RNA (mRNA) and the Genetic Code: Sydney Brenner, François Jacob, and Matthew Meselson's work in 1960 was pivotal in discovering messenger RNA (mRNA), a crucial type of RNA that carries genetic information from DNA to ribosomes for protein synthesis. Shortly after, in 1961, Marshall Nirenberg and Heinrich Matthaei's breakthrough revealed the genetic code – how the sequence of bases in RNA dictates the amino acid sequence in proteins. Their work, along with that of other scientists, significantly advanced the understanding of RNA's central role in gene expression. The discovery of mRNA is often cited as a major leap in RNA research. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982215006065 https://www.pasteur.fr/en/home/research-journal/news/discovery-messenger-rna-1961?language=fr https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26126273/
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1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Sidney Altman and Thomas Cech were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discovery that RNA can act as a catalyst (ribozyme). This challenged the long-held belief that only proteins could be biological catalysts. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1989/press-release/
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2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: Andrew Fire and Craig Mello were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discovery of RNA interference (RNAi), a process where double-stranded RNA molecules can silence gene expression. This discovery opened up new avenues in gene regulation and therapeutic applications. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2006/press-release/
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RNA Splicing: While not attributable to a single individual, significant contributions to the understanding of RNA splicing (the process of removing introns from pre-mRNA) were made by several scientists. It's important to note that the contributions of women scientists in this area have been historically under-recognized. https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-women-who-discovered-rna-splicing
In summary, the discovery of RNA and its various functions was a collaborative effort, spanning decades and involving many researchers. Attributing the discovery to a single individual would be an oversimplification.
