BIOL6227 - RNA World

BIOL 6227 RNA World (2 semester hours) The nature of modern RNA suggests a prebiotic RNA world. This course will begin with a presentation of the arguments that a RNA world existed before the evolution of protein synthesis. Additional topics will include RNA evolution, the origin and evolution of introns, RNA replication, the evolution and involvement of tRNAs and rRNAs in protein synthesis, the structure and mechanism of large catalytic RNAs such as Group I and Group II introns and the RNase P RNA, the structure and mechanism of small nuclear RNAs such as hammerheads and hairpins, RNA editing, and the mechanism of telomerase. (2-0) T