A8: RNA-catalyzed DNA synthesis (Claudia Höbartner)
Natural ribozymes catalyze phosphodiester transformations, but are not able to copy RNA or DNA, while in vitro molecular evolution resulted in RNA-dependent RNA polymerase ribozymes that can copy part of themselves or their ancestors. The evolution of DNA as genetic material also requires copying information from RNA to DNA and possibly vice versa. The goal of this project is to find small ribozymes that catalyze template-dependent ligation and polymerization of (deoxy)nucleotides using plausible activated building blocks and/or cofactors. We aim at ribozymes that use RNA as a template to write DNA under prebiotic conditions inspired and compatible with other projects in the CRC.