A study published in PNAS on Aug. 5 reveals the genome-wide chromatin accessibility of neonatal cochlear hair cells (HCs) and has identified two previously unknown Atoh1 enhancers. This study demonstrates that three Atoh1 enhancers cooperate for cochlear HC development in a dosage-dependent manner. The discovery provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying Atoh1 expression regulation and novel potential therapeutic targets for HC regeneration. This work was performed by researchers in Liu Zhiyong's lab at the Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the research group of Lu Falong at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.