Uncontrolled cell growth and division is a hallmark of cancer. Now a research project has provided the most complete description to date of the gene activity that takes place as human cells divide. Researchers have managed to gather data which details the behavior of protein molecules encoded by over 6000 genes in cancer cells, as they move through the cell cycle. The team has used advances in technology and data analysis to study how genes work over time in cancer cells, as opposed to capturing a `snapshot’ of activity — a leap forward they describe as akin to `jumping from still photography to video’.