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 they travel, and each trajectory changes color to give an impression of time passing. Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Gene expression is controlled, in part, by the interactions between genes and regulatory elements located along the genome. Those interactions depend on the ability of chromatin—a mix of DNA and proteins—to move around within a crowded space. In a new study, MIT researchers have measured chromatin movement at timescales ranging from hundreds of microseconds to hours, allowing them to rigorously quantify those dynamics for the first time.…