Center for Biological Timing

几乎所有的生物系统都表现出周期性的 活动 常见的例子是每日（昼夜），潮汐， 月球和每年的活动节奏，如睡眠，运动， 迁移和繁殖。 目前尚不清楚， “生物钟”监测时间并调节这些活动， 尽管在某些案件上取得了一些显著进展， 过去十年 这个生物定时中心提供了一个协调的 在某种程度上， 对于个人研究项目来说是不可能的。 分子、细胞 和系统级流程将被研究，以了解它们如何 生成、同步和整合关键生理 神经和内分泌系统内的振荡。 研究部 分子和细胞水平将集中在 基因转录和翻译事件， 参与细胞内“第二信使”途径，以及 膜特性在产生和控制中的作用 振荡 在运作系统一级的研究将 关注时间安排中各要素之间的相互关系 系统，特别是振荡元件之间的系统 以及振荡器和外部线索之间， 夹带或调制振荡器的周期或相位。 对神经和荷尔蒙输出的研究将集中在如何 计时系统和节奏过程被集成到 生物体的行为，反过来又可以通过 路的数量。 一个生物数学核心设施将提供 一个严格的量化框架， 时间结构的生物学分析 这个中心利用一个独特的机会，联合收割机正式结合 数学建模、分子生物学、生理学和 行为方法在一个重要的统一设置 生物问题。 它将加强教育活动， 发展这一多学科领域的人力资源， 并鼓励企业参与。 中心的影响 将在生物学的所有领域都很强大， 农业生产力和人力资源等应用领域 性能

Nearly all biological systems show periodic patterns of activity. Commonly known examples are daily (circadian), tidal, lunar and yearly rhythms of activities such as sleep, locomotion, migration and reproduction. It remains unclear what kinds of "biological clocks" monitor time and regulate these activities, although some notable progress has been made on certain cases in the past decade. This Center for Biological Timing provides a coordinated effort of seventeen laboratories at three universities, in a way impossible for individual research projects. Molecular, cellular and system-level processes will be studied to see how they generate, synchronize and integrate critical physiological oscillations within neural and endocrine systems. Research at the molecular and cellular levels will concentrate on the role of genetic transcriptional and translational events, the participation of intracellular "second messenger" pathways, and the role of membrane properties in the generation and control of oscillations. Research at the level of functioning systems will concentrate on interrelationships among elements in the timing system, particularly those between oscillating elements themselves, and between oscillators and external cues that entrain or modulate the period or phase of the oscillators. Research on neural and hormonal outputs will focus on how the timing systems and rhythmic processes are integrated into the behavior of the organism, and in turn can be modulated by a number of pathways. A biomathematical core facility will provide a rigorous quantitative framework on which to build the biological analysis of temporal structure. This center exploits a unique opportunity to combine formal mathematical modelling, molecular biology, physiology and behavioral approaches in a unified setting on an important biological issue. It will enhance activity in education and the development of human resources in this multidisciplinary area, and industrial participation is encouraged. Impact of the center will be strong across all fields of biology, and likely on applied areas such as agricultural productivity and human performance.