The DNA in the cell nuclei of higher organisms is tightly coiled around protein complexes called nucleosomes, which repress gene expression. Researchers in Germany have now developed a model that ...

In 1963, Popular Science reported on the Nobel Prize-winning discovery, and Rosalind Franklin⁠—the woman who was left out of the accolades.

Their model shows that DNA creates tightly compressed loops that start from a flexible scaffold. The researchers, a team led by Leonid Mirny, say it’s a very efficient way of packing DNA material.

Here’s the first 3D glimpse of how DNA is packaged up in a single cell The balled structure reveals organization, which is critical for gene activity.