Genomics tools for the unraveling of chromosome architecture

The spatial organization of chromosomes inside the cell nucleus is still poorly understood. This organization is guided by intra- and interchromosomal contacts and by interactions of specific chromosomal loci with relatively fixed nuclear “landmarks” such as the nuclear envelope and the nucleolus. New molecular genome-wide mapping techniques have begun to uncover both types of molecular interactions, providing insights into the fundamental principles of interphase chromosome folding.