When a cell divides to make two daughter cells, it must first replicate its DNA. The entire genome is not replicated simultaneously; instead, there is a defined order in which different segments of DNA will be copied. This order relates to the functions of genes within those segments and can be disrupted by diseases such as cancer.

Researchers have developed a new method of tracking, in real time, the replication of specific genes inside living cells. This image shows yellow dots, the cell’s DNA replication machinery, converging on green dots that mark the locations of a gene of interest. The moment of overlap marks the time of replication. This piece relates the twists and curls of living genomic DNA to the pathways of a labyrinthine garden, conveying a sense of space within the creation of a new world of DNA.