A DNA Device for Snapshots of Telomerase in Cells

Cancer has this unique friend called telomerase, which is pretty active in cancer cells. Telomerase is like a tiny machine with a reverse transcriptase and something called human telomerase RNA (hTR). We usually spot telomerase by its activity in tissues or single cells, but that's not the whole story. To get a better look, scientists created a smart DNA device that can zoom in on hTR and telomerase activity in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus of cells. This DNA device is like a complex with modules that can sense hTR and telomerase activity, lighting up different signals so we can see them at the same time. When scientists used this DNA device in different cell lines, they found something interesting. The locations of hTR and telomerase activity aren't exactly the same, which means the inside of the cell affects how hTR sticks to telomerase. This device also lets us see how things change when we introduce medicine to the mix.