The algae's accent

Acetabularia, subtropical green algae from the class of Ulvophyceae.

Different cultures around the world have sought to explain the multitude of human languages. In the Bible you can find the story of the Tower of Babel, set in a time when all of humanity spoke one language. The unity that this common language instilled allowed these people to do great things. But when they [...]

Graffiti and Poetry in a Synthetic Genome

Last week, the world learned of the first living organism that carries a synthetic genome. That that same genome contains the nucleic equivalents of both graffiti and poetry is less known… Unless you’ve been avoiding science news for over a week, you’ve been bombarded by news of the creation of the first ‘synthetic cell’ by [...]

Evolving a code: A molecular fossil's tale

Every living cell on earth carries a molecular fossil: the ribosome. In a recent paper published in PNAS, researchers from California open the drawer and dust off this ancient molecular machine. The structure of the ribosome seems to provide hints about the origin of that universal feature of life: the genetic code. The genetic code is [...]