Your comment sparked a thought about a possible collection of RNA memory functions: If RNA is the memory mechanism, and it floats around for a while, then it g

Your comment sparked a thought about a possible collection of RNA memory functions: If RNA is the memory mechanism, and it floats around for a while, then it gets cleaned up over time, this collection might allow long term memory recall and replay. Function 1: Surface protein encodes the pattern of incoming synapse firings on RNA, then releases it. This pattern would have a start and end block indicating it is "new". Function 2: Relatively rare protein finds RNA marked "new" and replaces start and end blocks with "old" markers. Function 3: Common protein grabs one strand marked new, and one strand marked old and compares part of the tail of "new" to the head of "old" by sliding them past each other. If a match is found, the older strand is marked "match" at the start. Function 4: Match strands are used to trigger the next several firings of the neuron, then marked "hold" Function 5: "Old" strands are gradually recycled. Function 6: "Hold" strands are copied into new "old" strands for comparison to "new" strands by function 3 Function 7: Something to do with continual refinement of "hold" strands with incoming "new" strands. ... Anyway, this whole little system just popped into my head based on the small amount I know about crispr and cellular machinery (which honestly isn't much), and I wanted to share.