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Researchers Uncover Ancient Genes That Shaped Life's Origins

2/11/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Researchers led by Aaron Goldman, Greg Fournier, and Betül Kaçar study universal paralogs to illuminate the origins of life.
These rare gene families predate LUCA, revealing clues about early cellular functions.
They reveal roles in protein production and membrane transport.
Advances in AI and genetic analysis enable scientists to recreate ancient proteins and refine the evolutionary history of life on Earth.

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Story summary

Researchers led by Aaron Goldman, Greg Fournier, and Betül Kaçar study universal paralogs to illuminate the origins of life.
These rare gene families predate LUCA, revealing clues about early cellular functions.
They reveal roles in protein production and membrane transport.
Advances in AI and genetic analysis enable scientists to recreate ancient proteins and refine the evolutionary history of life on Earth.