Rebecca has co-authored a paper "Template-directed RNA polymerization and enhanced ribozyme catalysis inside membraneless compartments formed by coacervates", which has been published in Nature Communications. Early biocompartments must have enabled the concentration of biologically-relevant molecules while remaining permeable to and compatible with large charged molecules. Complex coacervates, liquid-liquid phase separated systems formed by polyion interactions, are known to partition RNA, RNA monmers, and key cosolutes while retaining diffusibility. This research shows that coacervates of different compositions have variable levels of compatibility with RNA functionality. Polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDAC) and RNA-containing coacervates are demonstrated to alleviate Mg2+ concentration sensitivity of template-directed non-enzymatic RNA polymerization as well as enhance the activity of ribozymes and a DNAzyme. Therefore, RNA along with certain polyions spontaneously form a microenvironment that increases local reagent concentration and enhances critical RNA reactions suggesting an origin for membraneless compartments.