Unraveling the biology behind circadian rhythms

           In the article "When we eat, or don’t eat, may be critical for health" the author, Anahad O'Connor presents us with the science behind when we eat during the day and provides us references to several studies from the growing body of neuroscience research on the subject. Our circadian rhythms can be simply be defined as the 24-hour clock that lies within us telling us when to sleep and when to wake. The studies in this article show evidence that eating during certain times, particularly whether it is daytime or nighttime of our 24 hour rhythm have an influence on a weight gain of an organism. When we eat during a time where we should be asleep then The research outlined in this article also that our bodies adjust differently to this, an example is give of people who work 3rd shift or overnight work shifts and the greater difficulty for them to maintain a healthy weight. Disruption of the rhythm can have catastrophic effects on our biology. 

              Reading this article I couldn’t help but recall the research presentation about this topic I had heard from Professor Daniel Cavanaugh at Loyola University Chicago. In his presentation of a research study he was apart of "A circadian output center controlling feeding: fasting rhythms in Drosophila", he studies the feeding to fasting pathway's relationship in Drosophila flies. The broad goal point of his research is to help better understand the neuroscience of feed:fasting relationship with the circadian clock most animals run on. The more specific goal of his research involves attempting to trace the pathway of feeding to the actual motor neurons that control feeding. The article illustrates how the researchers manipulated cells of interest (SIFa) to study the relationship between feeding and fasting. The research concluded that their manipulations of the SIFa cells in the pars intercerebralis, which make up a part of the output pathway that controls feeding:fasting rhythms in flies (those suspected in having a role in feeding) showed a direct feeding:fasting regulation. Through his identification of the SIFa+ neurons professor Cavanaugh has added to the literature on this specific pathway and with future research the possibility of unraveling the mystery of the pathways that guide our circadian rhythms only becomes greater.

References:

Dreyer, Austin & Martin, Madison & Fulgham, Carson & Jabr, Daniel & Bai, Lei & Beshel, Jennifer & Cavanaugh, Daniel. (2019). A circadian output center controlling feeding: Fasting rhythms in Drosophila. PLOS Genetics. 15. e1008478. 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008478.

O'connor, A. (2018, July 24). When We Eat, or Don't Eat, May Be Critical for Health. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/24/well/when-we-eat-or-dont-eat-may-be-critical-for-health.htm