DELAUNAY

The mammalian circadian timing system coordinates a variety of molecular, cellular and physiological processes over the 24 h in synchrony with the light/dark cycle. The fundamental mechanism underlying circadian rhythms is a molecular clock present in virtually all body cells. The system is organized hierarchically with a central clock in the hypothalamus that coordinates peripheral clocks through internal synchronizers. Misalignment or disruption of the human circadian timing system has been linked to pathologies including metabolic disorders, sleep phase syndromes and cancer. Although we currently have a comprehensive view of how core clock genes work and interact together to generate oscillations, we still do not fully understand how they crosstalk with other essential cellular mechanisms. In that context, we study how mammalian peripheral circadian clocks interact with the cell cycle and metabolic processes and determine the relevance of these interactions in health and disease.

To study the interaction between the circadian clock and metabolism, we use a panel of tools and approaches including systemic and conditional knockout mouse models, culture of primary cells, functional genomics, nutritional challenges and, monitoring of circadian physiology and behavior. Our second project on the interaction between the circadian clock and the cell cycle involves mainly a systems biology approach that combines multispectral fluorescent reporter systems, high throughput time lapse imaging, bioinformatics and mathematical modelling in collaboration with mathematicians and computer scientists.