Thomas R. Cech is distinguished professor of biochemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. His many honors include the Nobel Prize and the National Medal of Science. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.
Nobel laureate Thomas Cech takes us into the world of RNA with a story that's as enlightening as it is fascinating. It's a must-read for anyone interested in the molecule that has shaped life itself and is driving the future of science and medicine.--Jennifer Doudna, Nobel Laureate, co-inventor of CRISPR gene editing, and founder of the Innovative Genomics Institute Tom Cech led the way into what will be known as the age of RNA. When others were focused on DNA, Cech probed the mysteries of the then lesser-known, but wondrous molecule that creates the stuff of life and is a key to life's origins. The Catalyst vividly describes the marvels of RNA and the discoveries--from vaccines to gene-editing tools--that will shape our future. I am so glad Cech wrote this book.--Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Elon Musk and The Code Breaker