A powerful new discovery reveals that Nup98 a protein once thought to only ferry molecules through the nucleus plays a vital role in safeguarding the most vulnerable areas of DNA. By forming droplet-like 'bubbles' around damaged DNA within dense regions called heterochromatin, Nup98 safely escorts the damaged segments to repair zones and times the involvement of risky repair proteins. This precise choreography prevents genetic errors that could trigger cancer or speed up aging.