AlphaGenome & the RNA world hypothesis

Mariana Kneppers, Mason Wakley and Neil Withers discuss two questions about genetic information. They examine AlphaGenome, a machine learning model designed to predict molecular effects of DNA variants across long sequences, and consider its potential use in genetics research. The episode then turns to the RNA world hypothesis: the proposal that RNA-based systems preceded DNA genomes and cells during the early history of life. The discussion links contemporary tools for studying the genome with chemical questions about life's beginnings.