DNA is already organized even before the beginning of life

An early Drosophila embryo captured during a wave of nuclear division. Dividing nuclei (blue) and non-dividing nuclei (pink) illustrate the rapid, highly organised nature of early development and the substantial regulation of genome organisation needed to enable proper gene activation despite repeated disruption as nuclei divide. Credit: Clemens Hug

doi.org/10.1038/s41588-026-02503-3
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For a long time, scientists imagined that the DNA of a newly fertilized egg began as a complete mess-a kind of loose, disorganized mass that would only gain shape and structure after the embryo began to use its own genes, at a moment known as zygotic genome activation

The idea was that order only emerged after this genetic “awakening.”

New research, published in the journal “Nature Genetics,” completely changes this view.

A team led by Professor Juanma Vaquerizas discovered that the genome is already extremely organized from the very first moments, long before any gene is activated by the embryo.

Using an innovative technique called Pico-C, which allows mapping the three-dimensional structure of DNA with impressive detail and using far less material than traditional methods (about ten times less), the researchers analyzed early-stage embryos of the fruit fly (“Drosophila”), a classic model organism in genetics.

In these early stages, when nuclei divide rapidly, forming thousands of cells, the DNA is not random.

It already forms specific circuits, modular structures, and a precise three-dimensional architecture.

This structure acts as a pre-planning step: it positions genes so that they can be activated at the exact moment, in a controlled and safe manner, helping to avoid errors that could cause developmental problems.

Noura Maziak, lead author of the study, describes this initial phase as “a highly disciplined construction site.” “The genome structure is being assembled precisely and modularly, long before the switch is flipped,” she explains.

In other words, far from being chaos, it is a planned organization that facilitates everything that comes after.

Although the discovery was made in flies, it has direct implications for human biology.

A complementary study, published in “Nature Cell Biology” by researchers at ETH Zurich, showed what happens when this 3D structure is damaged in human cells: the collapse of these molecular “anchors” causes cells to interpret the disorder as a viral attack, incorrectly activating the immune system and potentially leading to inflammation and disease.

“These two studies tell the complete story,” summarizes Juanma Vaquerizas.

“One shows how the three-dimensional structure of the genome is carefully constructed early in life.

The other reveals the serious consequences for human health should this structure collapse.”

This discovery reveals that the beginning of life is not random: DNA arrives at the embryo already with a sophisticated architectural blueprint, ready to guide development in an orderly and reliable way.

Published in 02/25/2026 02h53

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Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.

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