Molecules can squirm free of the pack

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00767-7Tightly packed molecular chains can start to wiggle in many directions when an enzyme introduces energy.

Molecules can squirm free of the pack
Molecules can squirm free of the pack Photo: Nature News

An individual polymer molecule (artist’s impression) can wriggle out of a pack of similar molecules.

Credit: Juan Gaertner/Science Photo Library
When densely packed, long molecular chains, such as chromosomes, in living cells can crawl past their neighbours, computer simulations and theoretical modelling suggest 1 .

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00767-7
Höfler, A.

H.

T.

P., Chubak, I., Likos, C.

N.

& Smrek, J.

Phys.

Rev.

X 16 , 011046 (2026).

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