Ribozymes and RNA Catalysis

Ribozymes and RNA Catalysis

David M. Lilly and Fritz Eckstein (Eds.)
Cambridge, UK: The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2007, 318 pp. ISBN (print) 978-0-85404-253-1

Reviewed by Mike Harris

I recall as a graduate student being excited reading the first papers describing the discovery of RNA catalysis as well as the commentary on the enzymological and evolutional implications that followed. I feel a bit sorry for students in my laboratory who share a fascination with ribozymes, but for whom RNA catalysis is a fact learned in undergraduate biochemistry class. This book, however, through a series of expert reviews, explores the forefront of ribozyme research while evoking the excitement of those early discoveries. One reason for this attribute is that this is an update of a volume edited by Drs. Eckstein and Lilley 10 years ago, and their scholarly perspective on how the field has grown and developed is reflected in the choice of themes and the spirit of the volume. The fore