Dr. Molaro studies how an ancient "evolutionary arms race" between Krab-Zinc-Finger genes (KZNFs) and DNA sequence elements called retrotransposons has shaped transcriptional networks of stem cells and pluripotency. Because many cancers dedifferentiate to a stem cell-like state, refined knowledge about how KZNFs act to finely modulate transcriptional control may prove essential for the development of new cancer drugs.