Topic
Cell biology
Episodes and research papers from From First Principles that help explain Cell biology from the ground up.
Research
Papers and studies featured by the show.
Nature·
A ‘time capsule’ for cells stores the secret experiences of their past
Imagine your cells have millions of tiny, hollow barrels inside them called vaults, and for decades, nobody knew what they were for. Scientists in this study figured out how to open these barrels and put a specific, rolled-up instruction sheet (that's the mRNA) inside. They also designed a special key that can unlock the barrel and release the instructions at a later time. So, they've essentially created a microscopic time capsule inside a living cell, allowing them to tell a cell what to do and, crucially, *when* to do it.