SMRTR Science & EngineeringApr 30, 2026Hacker News

AI discovery reveals DNA isn’t locked away in cells after all

SMRTR summary

Scientists long believed DNA was either locked away in nucleosomes or fully accessible — essentially an on/off switch for gene activity. Using a new AI-powered tool called IDLI, researchers at Gladstone and Arc Institutes discovered that over 85% of nucleosomes have partially exposed DNA, acting more like a volume dial than a simple switch. They identified 14 distinct nucleosome states linked to gene activity levels, with potential implications for understanding cancer, aging, and neurological disease.

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