oz ym es ▁function ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁large ▁sub unit ▁rib os om al ▁R NA ▁to ▁link ▁am ino ▁ac ids ▁during ▁protein ▁synth esis . ▁ ▁They ▁also ▁particip ate ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁R NA ▁processing ▁re actions , ▁including ▁R NA ▁sp lic ing , ▁vir al ▁rep lication , ▁and ▁transfer ▁R NA ▁b ios yn thesis . ▁Ex amples ▁of ▁rib oz ym es ▁include ▁the ▁ham mer head ▁rib oz yme , ▁the ▁VS ▁rib oz yme , ▁Le ad zym e ▁and ▁the ▁hair pin ▁rib oz yme . ▁ ▁Investig ators ▁studying ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁life ▁have ▁produced ▁rib oz ym es ▁in ▁the ▁labor atory ▁that ▁are ▁capable ▁of ▁catal yz ing ▁their ▁own ▁synth esis ▁from ▁activ ated ▁mon om ers ▁under ▁very ▁specific ▁conditions , ▁such ▁as ▁an ▁R NA ▁polym er ase ▁rib oz yme . ▁Mut agen esis ▁and ▁selection ▁has ▁been ▁performed ▁resulting ▁in ▁isol ation ▁of ▁improved ▁variants ▁of ▁the ▁" R ound - 1 8 " ▁polym er ase ▁rib oz yme ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁" B 6 . 6 1 " ▁is ▁able ▁to ▁add ▁up ▁to ▁ 2 0 ▁nucle ot ides ▁to ▁a ▁primer ▁template ▁in ▁ 2 4 ▁hours , ▁until ▁it ▁decom poses ▁by ▁cle av age ▁of ▁its ▁ph osph odi ester ▁b onds . ▁The ▁" t C 1 9 Z " ▁rib oz yme ▁can ▁add ▁up ▁to ▁ 9 5 ▁nucle ot