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One tiny chemical difference between RNA and DNA may help explain how life began A single tiny chemical feature may have helped RNA form protective droplets that paved the way for the first cells.Date: October 1, 2026 Source: University at Buffalo Summary: Scientists may have found a clue to one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the origin of life: how fragile RNA molecules could gather and survive before cells existed. New research shows that RNA is unusually good at assembling into tiny liquid-like droplets that concentrate molecules and can harden into protective, gel-like structures. Remarkably, much of this behavior may come down to a single oxygen-containing chemical group that RNA has but DNA lacks.