Intron splicing: A general two-metal mechanism for RNA and protein catalysts

I first met my Yale colleagues Joan Steitz and Tom Steitz while I was postdoctoral fellow at the University of Colorado working on the group I intron splicing mechanism with Thomas Cech. Cech's discovery of the RNA self-splicing group I intron in 1981 provided the first demonstration that not all enzymes are proteins. The Steitz's, famous for their work in pre-mRNA splicing and X-ray structure determination, respectively, spent a sabbatical leave in Colorado from 1992 to 1993, where they enjoyed the high quality of the RNAfocused science that was present there. It was a scientific bonus for me to have both of them attend the weekly Cech laboratory group meetings and to regularly bump into them in the lunchroom.