Structural biologists have made important progress towards
better understanding the functioning of the circadian clock. The circadian or
inner clock coordinates the sleep-wake rhythm and many other body processes
that regulate, for example, metabolism, blood pressure, and the immune system.
A research team led by Professor Eva Wolf, recently appointed Professor of
Structural Biology at the Institute of General Botany of Johannes Gutenberg
University Mainz (JGU) and Adjunct Director at the Institute of Molecular
Biology (IMB), has for the first time identified the molecular structure of a
protein complex that plays an important role in regulating the circadian
rhythm.