{"record":{"author":{"account_ref":null,"orcid":null},"builds_on":[],"content_schema":"pubphys.content.revision/1","content_sha256":"c1bc8e9c86b9e6094e7b4d714a8e7485cfa9b0b13fa703b9dedd9b5278792408","created":"2026-10-15T23:43:22Z","files":[],"origin":{"assisted_by":[],"kind":"seed"},"parents":["ce59fb6cd812fc05906d0c60a71c75ea22bc686bcf38e7c3ef7010834d98ee7b","f090f5868ce53bf9e71b445ca5fcc56247cf53a3e38b79dc646e15830c4f9ca9"],"salt":"dbf78c3bbc36f5046948161fe7ad3e6078378989e723840f084632900062fde4","schema":"pubphys.record/2","site":"pubphys.com","target":null,"type":"revision"},"content":{"answer_type":"yes-no","assisted_by":[],"external_id":"bio.origin-of-life.rna-self-replicase","kind":"well-posed","literature_status":"partially-resolved","n":"2","parents":[],"plain":"In the RNA-world idea, early life used RNA both as genes and as enzymes, which requires an RNA able to copy itself. In 2026 a 45-nucleotide RNA enzyme copied itself and its partner strand, but too slowly and too inaccurately for its numbers to keep growing over many rounds.","posed_since":"","precise":"A polymerase ribozyme of length $L$ must synthesize complete copies of itself and of its complementary strand with per-nucleotide fidelity $q$ satisfying $L(1 - q) < \\ln(\\sigma)$ (Eigen error threshold; $\\sigma$ = selective advantage of the correct sequence), at yields that allow exponential growth over repeated cycles that include strand separation. QT45, a 45-nucleotide ribozyme (Gianni and co-workers, Science 2026), synthesizes its complementary strand from a random triplet pool at $q = 0.941$ and a copy of itself from defined triplet substrates, each at about 0.2% yield in 72 days in eutectic ice. Answer: yes or no, with a demonstrated system showing sustained exponential amplification of both strands over many rounds without defined oligomer feeds.","problem_ref":"f090f5868ce53bf9e71b445ca5fcc56247cf53a3e38b79dc646e15830c4f9ca9","references":"","settled_by":"Demonstration of sustained exponential amplification of a ribozyme by its own copying activity over many rounds, with sequence fidelity measured by deep sequencing.","status_note":"In 2026 the 45-nucleotide ribozyme QT45 synthesized its complementary strand ($94.1\\%$ fidelity) and a copy of itself at about $0.2\\%$ yield in $72\\,\\mathrm{days}$; sustained self-replication has not been reported (Science, doi 10.1126/science.adt2760).","title":"Sustained exponential self-replication by a polymerase ribozyme","topic_ref":null},"attested":{"attestation":{"batch":null,"client_id":null,"id_token_sha256":null,"kind":"platform"},"record_hash":"c82073c50ead7b136856782935e9d1801e2b1f35f234d657b917f1be172e765b","schema":"pubphys.attested/1"},"envelope":{"attested_hash":"1f793093ad9c9b94bcc19117ea2d3743c55b35de6a7a1d9bacba752079cc5df7","platform_signature":{"key_id":"c6afc19b31429869751f06879c75cd64ea92654423d15b44be775bf1310a60da","sig":"UL87HB8AN6gcPKen9imYh7poig9nE_BQ0ljUMgRDmbotab3nwtKMngAuhZNBnFSMS4VHxkq1aH5hFF6kAqm7AA"},"schema":"pubphys.envelope/1"},"record_hash":"c82073c50ead7b136856782935e9d1801e2b1f35f234d657b917f1be172e765b","leaf_index":2608}