title: Evolution finds shelter in small spaces.
abstract: When RNA is replicated in cell-free systems, a ubiquitous problem is the hijacking of the system by short parasitic RNA sequences. In this issue of Chemistry & Biology, Bansho et al. show that compartmentalization into water-in-oil droplets can ameliorate this problem, but only if the droplets are small. This result helps to both recapitulate abiogenesis and optimize synthetic biology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Portland State University, PO Box 751, Portland, OR 97207, USA. niles@pdx.edu
authors.forename: Niles
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lehman