August 11th, 2026

Ever wondered how two meters of DNA fits into a microscopic cell nucleus, and what happens if it folds incorrectly? 

In our latest researcher spotlight, meet Nelson Martins, our Doctoral Candidate 5 (DC5) based at UZ Gent! Nelson moved from Portugal to Belgium to join the ProgRET consortium and tackle the mysteries of Inherited Retinal Diseases (IRDs). Under the supervision of his PI, Prof. Elfride De Baere, Nelson is mapping 3D genome topologies to understand how distant DNA regions interact. Using a clever yarn analogy in his video, he explains how studying this intricate folding process in the nucleus can help interpret non-coding structural variants and uncover the "why" behind unsolved IRD cases.

Watch the video to see how unravelling the 3D genome can ultimately improve genetic diagnoses!