Helical correlations in curved DNA condensates.

Summary: Have you ever wondered how incredibly long strands of DNA pack themselves into the tiny spaces inside a cell? Scientists used powerful microscopes to look at DNA that is tightly wound up into tiny, donut-like shapes. They discovered that neighboring DNA strands prefer to line up perfectly with each other. But because the "donuts" are curved, the straight DNA strands have a hard time bending smoothly. To solve this problem, the DNA rearranges itself into a shape with flat sides and sharp corners, much like a polygon! The DNA even twists tighter in those sharp, curved corners. This amazing discovery shows how DNA's need to line up changes both its overall shape and its tiny twists when it is packed tightly.