Forthcoming, June 4, 2024. In this forthcoming book, The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life's Deepest Secrets, Thomas R. Cech recounts his own paradigm-shifting discovery that RNA can catalyze biochemical reactions, as well as his work on the “fountain of youth” telomerase, and unfolds how RNA holds the key to the intricate machinery of our cells, the critical processes of aging and disease, and the spectacular powers of breakthrough therapies from CRISPR to mRNA vaccines.