One of the great hallmarks of evolution is the subdivision of eukaryotic cells into membrane-enclosed compartments, including the nucleus – a sanctuary for storing genetic information encoded in DNA and protecting it from the harsh chemical environment of the cytoplasm. André Hoelz aims to gain a detailed mechanistic understanding and atomic-level visualization of how cells efficiently and precisely transport thousands of different macromolecules in and out of the nucleus, allowing them to access and utilize their genetic information, while keeping the processes of the “central dogma” – the copying of DNA into mRNA and the translation of mRNA into proteins – separate and regulated.