Transposable elements: McClintock's legacy revisited.

In 1983, Barbara McClintock was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her discovery of transposable elements. This discovery was rooted in meticulous work on maize mutants that she had carried out 40 years earlier. Over this time frame, our perception of transposable elements has undergone important paradigm shifts, with profound implications for our understanding of genome function and evolution. In commemoration of this milestone, I revisit the legacy of this iconic scientist through the kaleidoscopic history of genetics and reflect on her achievements and the hurdles she faced in her career.