Gene regulatory networks drive the specific transcriptional programmes responsible for the diversification of cell types during the development of multicellular organisms. Although our knowledge of the genes involved in these dynamic networks has expanded rapidly, our understanding of how transcription is spatiotemporally regulated at the molecular level over a wide range of timescales in the small volume of the nucleus remains limited. Over the past few decades, advances in the field of single-molecule fluorescence imaging have enabled real-time behaviours of individual transcriptional components to be measured in living cells and organisms. These efforts are now shedding light on the dynamic mechanisms of transcription, revealing not only the temporal rules but also the spatial coordination of underlying molecular interactions during various biological events.

基因调控网络驱动特定的转录程序，负责多细胞生物发育过程中细胞类型的多样化。尽管我们对这些动态网络中涉及的基因的了解迅速扩展，但我们对转录如何在小体积的细胞核中在大范围的时间尺度上在分子水平上时空调节的理解仍然有限。在过去的几十年里，单分子荧光成像领域的进步使得能够在活细胞和生物体中测量单个转录成分的实时行为。这些努力现在揭示了转录的动态机制，不仅揭示了时间规则，还揭示了各种生物事件期间潜在分子相互作用的空间协调。