Tiny, 45 base long RNA can make copies of itself

Researchers discovered a 45-base RNA molecule capable of self-replication, a breakthrough in understanding life's origins. This ribozyme can catalyze its own copying, addressing a key gap in the RNA World hypothesis where early life relied on RNA for both heredity and catalysis before proteins evolved. Previous catalytic RNAs could copy other molecules but not themselves, making this finding significant for origin-of-life research.