The article by Peter Baumann and Thomas R. Cech, published in *Science* in 2001, explores the role of Pot1, a protein that binds to telomeres in fission yeast and humans. The authors found that deleting the *pot1* gene in *Schizosaccharomyces pombe* (fission yeast) led to rapid chromosome instability and telomere shortening, indicating that Pot1 is crucial for telomere maintenance. They demonstrated that Pot1 specifically binds to the G-rich strand of telomeric DNA, and its binding affinity is higher for its own telomeric sequence compared to other species' sequences. The study also revealed that human *POT1* mRNA is expressed in all tissues, suggesting a conserved role in maintaining telomere integrity across eukaryotes. Additionally, the authors discussed the potential role of Pot1 in regulating telomerase access to chromosome ends and its possible involvement in different states of telomeres, such as t-loops and engaged with telomerase.The article by Peter Baumann and Thomas R. Cech, published in *Science* in 2001, explores the role of Pot1, a protein that binds to telomeres in fission yeast and humans. The authors found that deleting the *pot1* gene in *Schizosaccharomyces pombe* (fission yeast) led to rapid chromosome instability and telomere shortening, indicating that Pot1 is crucial for telomere maintenance. They demonstrated that Pot1 specifically binds to the G-rich strand of telomeric DNA, and its binding affinity is higher for its own telomeric sequence compared to other species' sequences. The study also revealed that human *POT1* mRNA is expressed in all tissues, suggesting a conserved role in maintaining telomere integrity across eukaryotes. Additionally, the authors discussed the potential role of Pot1 in regulating telomerase access to chromosome ends and its possible involvement in different states of telomeres, such as t-loops and engaged with telomerase.