<p>Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 23 February 2026; <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-026-03012-8">doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03012-8</a></p>Transposable elements (TEs), such as retrotransposons and endogenous retroviruses, are increasingly recognized for their important roles in genome function and impact on disease development. Residing mostly in the ‘dark genome’ — the part of the genome that does not encode proteins — TEs have long been difficult to study because of their repetitive nature. Recent technological advances are helping researchers overcome this issue, allowing them to identify how TEs contribute to disease development and discover novel targets for therapeutics. Despite this progress, the field still faces challenges. How can we translate this growing understanding of the dark genome into therapeutics? We asked experts in the field for their thoughts.