What keeps the clock ticking?
Scientists at the University of Oxford are researching the role of genetic sequences called enhancers operative in the site of master clock to understand the daily timekeeping mechanism at a genomic level.
We often talk about the study of circadian rhythms in terms of behaviour—sleep, activity and so on, things that we can see. These observable behaviours happen because of a repetitive chemical process that affects everything from our immunity to our mood; an intricate cycle, the internal ‘clock’ happens at a genetic level within a tiny bundle of cells nestled deep inside the brain.
The main internal clock mechanism involves a handful of specific genes: Bmal1, Clock, Cry, Per, Ror and Rev-erb, each serving as a gear in the clockwork mechanism. Understanding the genes at the heart of clock has taken decades of dedicated research, but this is only the beginning. Now that we can see the gears, we can start to investigate what keeps them turning smoothly.
Akanksha Bafna at the University of Oxford is using pioneering methods to work on sections of genetic code known as ‘enhancers’. Whilst not directly involved in the clock mechanism, enhancers play a crucial role in gene regulation. In other words: enhancers are to clock genes what oil is to clock gears—not a part of the mechanism, but crucial to its function. Their location and exact effects are a missing piece of the grand biological rhythms puzzle.
Akanksha in the Lab
Establishing this fundamental knowledge opens the doorway to a vast plain of potential benefits that will extend far beyond Dr Bafna’s research. These enhancers are known to occasionally be faulty, and may lead to circadian misalignment—a common symptom of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s. Could faulty enhancers be contributing to neurodegeneration? Once identified, could we treat the faulty enhancers to reverse circadian misalignment and improve care for conditions like Parkinson’s?
Time will tell.
This is the caveat of fundamental research like this, with boundless potential comes distance. Dr Bafna’s research may not be the one that discovers a cure for Parkinson’s, but it is possible that a cure will one day exist because of the knowledge generated. With each experiment, great scientists lay down a piece of the puzzle. Someday in the future, someone will lay down the final piece.
Who is involved in this research?
Hosted by: Aarti Jagannath at the University of Oxford
In collaboration with:
Mick Hastings at MRC LMB, Cambridge
Nadav Ahituv at UCSF, California
Stephan Sanders at the University of Oxford
Gareth Banks at Nottingham Trent University
15 August 2025