The tips of chromosomes have structures called telomeres comparable to the plastic cover at the end of shoelaces. They work as a protective cap that prevents genetic material from unfolding and corroding. When telomeres do not work properly, the total erosion of genetic material can occur, triggering cancer and age-related diseases. In a study now published in the EMBO Journal, a research team from Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC; Portugal), led by Jose Escandell and Miguel Godinho Ferreira, reports a key aspect of the regulation of telomeres.