Gene expression is controlled, in part, by the interactions between genes and regulatory elements located along the genome.

On the left is a snapshot of single histone molecules (red) inside a cell nucleus (dotted line). On the right, we see the trajectories of these molecules’ movement over time. The colors show the path ...

A mixture of DNA and proteins—known as "chromatin"—sits inside every cell nucleus as a jumbled puddle of genetic information. As cells prepare to divide during mitosis, the chromatin is condensed into ...

Among the many marvels of life is the cell's ability to divide and thus enable organisms to grow and renew themselves. For this, the cell must duplicate its DNA – its genome – and segregate it equally ...

Chromosomes are thread-like structures located inside the nucleus of animal and plant cells. Each chromosome is made of protein and a single molecule of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Passed from ...

Every cell in a body contains the same genetic sequence, yet each cell expresses only a subset of those genes. These cell-specific gene expression patterns, which ensure that a brain cell is different ...

For successful cell division, chromosomal DNA needs to be packed into compact rod-shaped structures. Defects in this process can lead to cell death or diseases like cancer. A new study has shown how ...

MIT researchers have, for the first time, measured chromatin movement across timescales from microseconds to hours, revealing two distinct motion modes—constrained and freer movement. These dynamics ...

Gene expression is controlled, in part, by the interactions between genes and regulatory elements located along the genome. Those interactions depend ...