Cracking the Non-Ribosomal Code

Following Watson & Crick’s publication of DNA’s double helix structure in 1953, physicist George Gamow founded the “RNA Tie Club” for renowned scientists. A necktie embroidered with a double helix signified membership in this club, which was restricted to twenty regular members (one for each amino acid) as well as four honorary members (one for each nucleotide). Gamow wanted the RNA Tie Club to serve more than a social function; by convening top scientific minds, he hoped to decode the message hidden within DNA by determining how RNA is converted into amino acids. Indeed, Sydney Brenner and Francis Crick struck first one year later by discovering that amino acids are translated from codons (i.e., triplets of nucleotides).

The RNA Tie Club would eventually boast eight Nobel ...