RNA - the secret of current Life and its origin

This week I had the pleasure of hearing a talk by Craig Mello about his work in the exciting field of RNAi which this year won the Nobel Prize in medicine. It seems to be at the center of our development and the control of our biochemistry. -RNA in general may also be the chemical that provided the transition between non-living chemicals and the earliest forms of life. It can carry genetic information like DNA and catalyze chemical reaction like proteins. It is the missing link that solves the chicken and egg problem of which came first, DNA or protein. The answer is neither, it was RNA.

The following link provides a background on RNAi:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3210/02.html

This link covers RNA and the origin of life.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3210/02.html

http://www.panspermia.org/rnaworld.htm