Is it time to differentiate?

"The circadian clock is based upon a simple system, a transcription/translation feedback loop such that the genes and proteins that constitute the clock direct their own rhythmic expression and the cycling of clock-controlled genes. This mechanism is evolutionary conserved and was first discovered and described in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. In 2017 the pioneers of the field, J. Hall, M. Rosbash and M. Young, were recognised with the award of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
In the fly, key components of the clock are the genes period (per) and timeless (tim) and their protein products. PER and TIM are transcription regulators that are cyclically expressed in neurons important for rhythmic behaviour. However, per and tim are also expressed in embryos but their function in early development remains poorly understood. The goal of this proposal is to test if, in addition to rhythmicity, the clock may contribute to cellular specification and differentiation during development."