“From 2 Q of Tetrahymena, 0.5 ig (3.7 pmoles) of
pure IVS RNA was routinely isolated.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC320658/pdf/nar00378-0064.pdf
So, IOW, that RNA was obtained from living Tetrahymena - not synthesized from atomic precursors.
“So, IOW, that RNA was obtained from living Tetrahymena - not synthesized from atomic precursors.”
No.
The initial observations were made with isolated RNA from tetrahymena.
Because of the possibility of trace proteins in the isolate they could not see that were carrying out the enzymatic reaction, they then synthesized RNA of the same sequence and looked to see if the same reaction occurred.
It did, thus indicating the reaction was being catalyzed by RNA.
Prior to this it was believed that only proteins carried out enzymatic reactions and nucleic acid did not have catalytic properties.
That was what the work was about. It wasn’t to study potential mechanisms for early molecular evolution.
I agree with you about the Nobel Prize being weathered down and political now. But that doesn’t happen in science awards (although it could be moving toward that) and this award was very merited.
The catalytic properties of RNA was probably the most important finding in biology since the double helix structure of DNA.