Consider the Selfish Ribosome
A new preprint argues that ribosomes, not cells, are the primary drivers of life, proposing a ribosome‑centric view of evolution. It suggests early ribosome‑like structures partnered with replicases, later acquiring metabolic functions to sustain themselves. The authors note that no virus encodes a ribosome, positioning viruses as genetic parasites that hijack host translation. This perspective flips the traditional hierarchy, casting cells as ribosome‑encoding organisms rather than the other way around.
New Bond Formations Just Keep On Coming
A new Nature paper introduces a streamlined iterative sp³‑sp³ coupling using t‑BuLi‑activated pinacol boronates (B(pin)) and copper(I) catalysis. The protocol retains stereochemistry at the boron‑derived carbon and tolerates a broad range of functional groups, from silyl ethers to pyridines. The...
Right Through the Skull
Researchers have unveiled a novel calvarial delivery platform that injects drug‑laden nanoparticles into the skull’s bone marrow. Immune cells within the diploic space capture the particles and migrate across skull‑meninges channels, ferrying the therapeutic cargo into the brain. In mouse...
