RNA is a less stable molecule than DNA — it can be single-stranded, form double strands, self-pair (form loops), react readily with proteins... just difficult t

RNA is a less stable molecule than DNA — it can be single-stranded, form double strands, self-pair (form loops), react readily with proteins... just difficult to deal with. On top of that, as mentioned, RNAses (enzymes that destroy RNA) are everywhere. Your skin secretes them as an anti-pathogen defense against viral RNA [0]. So do a plethora of other living organisms including single-celled bacteria ubiquitous in the atmosphere and on surfaces. I haven’t heard of any recent developments — it’s been a decade since I was in grad school and now I build software — but I briefly studied a subcategory of ribozyme called self-splicing group I introns which is where my interest comes from. [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribonuclease https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribonuclease [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_I_catalytic_intron https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_I_catalytic_intron