Schematic of UCLA-developed modular RNA motifs forming distinct condensates in cells, shown in different colors at a 5-micrometer scale. Credit: Dynamic Nucleic Acid Systems Lab/UCLA

Just as the human body relies on organs such as the heart or liver for essential functions, cells depend on their own tiny organs, or organelles, to carry out vital tasks, including transporting nutrients, removing waste, and regulating genetic activity.

Now, a team of UCLA researchers has developed a new method to build programmable artificial organelles inside living cells using RNA as both the material and the blueprint.…