RNA has long been the neglected middle child of biomolecules, the go-between between DNA, which encodes the cell’s instructions, and proteins, which carry them out. Increasingly, though, researchers are recognizing RNA as a versatile molecule with, possibly, as many functions as proteins have. New research from Emory University, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, shows that one such versatile RNA molecule may be a key player in human cells’ frontline defenses against viruses.