AI Summary

Researchers from ISTA, Institut Pasteur, and Princeton University published a study in PNAS showing that gene activity follows an optimal switching principle: each gene switches randomly between on and off states, yet the overall pattern remains precise on average. The study builds on early gene‑regulation models from the 1960s and adds a new layer of control to our understanding of cellular regulation. The authors used a simple analogy of an air conditioner cycling between hot and cool air to illustrate how random switching can produce a stable average temperature. The findings suggest that cells may expend energy to maintain this balance.

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