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The pedestrian watchmaker: Genetic clocks from engineered oscillators
Author(s) -
Cookson Natalie A.,
Tsimring Lev S.,
Hasty Jeff
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2009.10.089
Subject(s) - drosophila melanogaster , focus (optics) , computer science , biological clock , noise (video) , circadian clock , synthetic biology , biology , computational biology , circadian rhythm , neuroscience , artificial intelligence , physics , genetics , gene , optics , image (mathematics)
The crucial role of time‐keeping has required organisms to develop sophisticated regulatory networks to ensure the reliable propagation of periodic behavior. These biological clocks have long been a focus of research; however, a clear understanding of how they maintain oscillations in the face of unpredictable environments and the inherent noise of biological systems remains elusive. Here, we review the current understanding of circadian oscillations using Drosophila melanogaster as a typical example and discuss the utility of an alternative synthetic biology approach to studying these highly intricate systems.