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Job Dekker is interested in the spatial organization of the genome, the mechanisms cells employ to fold their chromosomes, and how chromosome and nuclear organization relate to genome function. Dekker and his team have provided insights into gene regulation by distal enhancers, compartmentalization of chromatin in distinct functional domains, internal organization of chromatin fibers, structure of mitotic chromosomes, and the overall organization of the genome inside the nucleus. Currently, the team is focused on analyzing the molecular and biophysical mechanisms by which cells fold, unfold, and refold their chromosomes during the cell cycle. Recently, they started exploring chromosome folding mechanisms in organisms with very different genome organizations, such as dinoflagellates.