UC San Diego Establishes Center for Chronobiology

Scientists at UC San Diego studying the biological clocks of bacteria, fungi, plants and animals have joined forces to apply their knowledge across these diverse groups of organisms to human sleep disorders in a newly established Center for Chronobiology. Understanding the basic biology of circadian rhythms, or chronobiology, is vital to our daily lives as one half of the population suffers from some problem in their daily sleep cycle. Next Sunday's shift to Daylight Savings Time, medications, artificial lighting, shift-work, airline travel, even 24/7 internet access all represent chronobiological changes that affect our productivity and physical and mental well-being. 'The biological clock in humans plays a central role in whether we gain or lose weight, when we fall asleep and wake up, how likely we are to have accidents and how we respond to disease,' said Susan Golden, a professor of biology who co-directs UCSD's Center for Chronobiology. 'The researchers involved in the center will investigate the basic mechanisms of the circadian clock as well as the role of human circadian disorders in regulating the sleep-wake cycle, glucose stability and weight control with the long-term goal of developing new molecular treatments for patients suffering from disorders as diverse as insomnia, diabetes and obesity. Golden said that what's unique about UCSD's center compared to other chronobiology research efforts across the country is that rather than focusing solely on the biology of human circadian rhythms, the UCSD center is combining what scientists learn about the biological clocks of diverse groups of organisms, from bacteria to fungi to plants, to better understand the basic biology of circadian rhythms.