The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life's Deepest Secrets
The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life's Deepest Secrets
The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life's Deepest Secrets
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Description
Description
Over the last half century, a quiet revolution has taken place. In a series of breathtaking discoveries, biochemist Thomas Cech and a diverse cast of brilliant scientists have revealed RNA at the center of biology's greatest mysteries, from how life began to what makes us human to why we age. At last, The Catalyst pulls back the curtain to show how RNA--long sidelined as the passive servant of DNA--defines life, from its very origins to our future in the twenty-first century. Recounting his own paradigm-shifting discovery that RNA can catalyze biochemical reactions, as well as his work on the "fountain of youth" telomerase, Cech unfolds how RNA holds the key to the intricate machinery of our cells, the critical processes of aging and disease, and the spectacular powers of breakthrough therapies from CRISPR to mRNA vaccines. From one of our foremost scientists, The Catalyst is a must-read guide to the present and future of biology and medicine.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
For brains of a mortal frequency, RNA may have only popped into consciousness with the groundbreaking introduction of COVID-targeting mRNA vaccines and CRISPR therapies. In the telling of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Tom Cech, RNA was long the sidelined brother of DNA, with its showy double helix. Thanks to work by Cech and others, the power of RNA to impact aging and catalyze biochemical reactions is made apparent.-- "Literary Hub"
Thomas Cech led the way into what will be known as the age of RNA. When others were focused on DNA, Cech probed the mysteries of the then lesser-known, but wondrous molecule that creates the stuff of life and is a key to life's origins. The Catalyst vividly describes the marvels of RNA and the discoveries--from vaccines to gene-editing tools--that will shape our future. I am so glad Cech wrote this book.--Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Elon Musk and The Code Breaker
Nobel laureate Thomas Cech takes us into the world of RNA with a story that's as enlightening as it is fascinating. It's a must read for anyone interested in the molecule that has shaped life itself and is driving the future of science and medicine.--Jennifer Doudna, Nobel laureate, co-inventor of CRISPR gene editing, and founder of the Innovative Genomics Institute
A series of dogma-smashing and Nobel-winning discoveries about RNA has transformed our understanding of how life works and given birth to exquisite, life-saving technologies. Thomas Cech's The Catalyst is a masterful account of the RNA revolution in biology and medicine by one of its brilliant pioneers.--Sean B. Carroll, author of The Serengeti Rules and A Series of Fortunate Events
An absorbing account of the scientific journey that led to the development of crucial RNA-based vaccine technologies and other important medical breakthroughs. Readers will come away from this fascinating book feeling more knowledgeable and empowered to make decisions about their own health.--Kenneth Frazier, retired CEO of Merck & Co.
Cech is a lucid prose stylist, vividly communicating his and his colleagues' excitement as they have unraveled RNA's secrets.. . . . [The Catalyst is] an expert update on the hottest topics in biology.-- "Kirkus"
Cech debuts with an entrancing primer on the vast capabilities of RNA... The biological discussions are remarkably lucid, thanks to easy-to-understand analogies. . . . [The Catalyst] fascinates.-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"
Lively and entertaining. . . . In [The Catalyst], the machinations of RNA emerge as a core feature of what makes us human. We appear to be at the beginning of a conceptual enlightenment in biology--an 'age of RNA, ' as Mr. Cech calls it. Biology will never be the same.--Adrian Woolfson "Wall Street Journal"
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
W. W. Norton & Company
Pub date:
2024-06-04
Length:
320 pages
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