RNA secondary structure, stability and melting curves are calculated for a model of a
possible ribozyme corresponding to the RNA directed RNA polymerase (ribopolymerase)
required in the RNA world. From these calculations, rates of folding and hybridisation are
estimated and used in a stochastic simulation of the dynamics of a population of
ribopolymerase molecules. Two models are considered: one synthesising a conventional
antiparallel reverse complementary transcript and one synthesising a parallel …