From strands to droplets—new insights into DNA control
Friday, June 23, 2017 - 07:02
in Biology & Nature
A host of proteins and other molecules sit on the strands of our DNA, controlling which genes are read out and used by cells and which remain silent. This aggregation of genetic material and controlling molecules, called chromatin, makes up the chromosomes in our cell nuclei; its control over which genes are expressed – or not – is what determines the difference between a skin cell and a neuron, and often between a healthy cell and a cancerous one.