Contribution of Thomas R. Cech to the field of chemistry Thomas Robert Cech is a well-known chemist who used his scientific knowledge to discover several theories in order to improve the study of molecules and atoms in different matters. In summary, Thomas Cech received his PhD in Chemistry from the University of California. He was also a professor at the University of Colorado where he taught chemistry and biochemistry. Cech's research and hard work have earned him numerous awards and one of the most important awards he received was the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1989. His major contribution on the splicing of RNA molecules had the greatest impact and it earned him the Nobel Prize. Thomas Cech's most excellent contribution was the theory behind RNA self-splicing. First of all, RNA also known as ribonucleic acid is a type of nucleic acid that is generally single-stranded. Additionally, RNA plays a vital role in transferring information from DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) to the cell's protein-forming system. Thomas Cech carried out his research in a laboratory. To briefly learn the contribution, scientist Cech and his research team started with the process by which genetic information stored in DNA can be transcribed into a molecule known as mRNA (messenger RNA), which is further processed into a protein. In all types of living organisms, this process occurs. However, in plants and humans, the coding region of DNA, i.e., exons, is episodic of the non-binding regions of DNA, i.e., introns. During the DNA duplication process, the gene is completely copied into a pre-messenger RNA (pre mRNA) including the exons and introns of the DNA. Thomas Cech's research helped him understand how the...... middle of paper ......t Model. Cell, 148, 922-932 (2012).4. Nandakumar, J., Bell, C.F., Weidenfeld, I., Zaug, A.J., Leinwand, L.A., Cech, T.R. The TEL patch of the telomeric protein TPP1 mediates telomerase recruitment and processivity. Nature, 492: 285-289 (2012).5. Schwartz, J.C., Ebmeier, C.C., Podell, E.R., Heimiller, J., Taatjes, D.J., Cech, TR FUS binds the CTD of RNA polymerase II and regulates its phosphorylation at Ser2. Development of genes. 26: 2690-95 (2012).Works Citedhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/101017/Thomas-Robert-Cechhttp://chem.colorado.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id= 247&Itemid=185http://www.hhmi.org/research/telomerase-and-chromosome-endshttp://www.dnalc.org/resources/animations/rna-splicing.htmlhttp://www.nature.com/scitable/ topicpage/rna-splicing-introns-exons-and-spliceosome-12375http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Rna