ETH Zurich researchers have built a cellular RNA archive that keeps records of gene activity for several days, allowing brief responses to be detected after they have ended.
The system, called a “recordanelle,” collects RNA molecules, which show which genes are active. It protects the molecules from the enzymes in cells that normally break RNA down. A standard RNA measurement gives a one-time picture and destroys the sampled cell.
The archive can keep a record for later study. In lab experiments with human cells, the team used the archive to find evidence of a response to a molecule that sends an immune signal. They could find this evidence even after the response had ended.
This could help scientists study brief immune or stress reactions that conventional sampling might miss. The researchers say the method may also help investigate why some cancer cells survive treatment. Cells could be examined for earlier activity after they are identified as survivors.
The work is a laboratory demonstration, not a clinical tool. The team’s paper in Nature Biotechnology was published online on October 22, 2026.