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[SCIENCE]

Briefing: Measuring Irreversibility in Gene Transcription

Strategic angle: Understanding the irreversible processes in living cells that drive gene transcription.

Editorial StaffMarch 22, 20261 MIN READ

Living cells function as nonequilibrium systems, consistently expending energy in irreversible processes to maintain biological functions.

A primary example of such irreversibility is the transcription of DNA into RNA, a critical step in gene expression.

This research sheds light on the mechanisms underlying these processes, which are essential for sustaining life at the cellular level.