Wednesday, 12 October 2011 11:53

American School of Puerto Vallarta Graduate Discovers “Alarm Clock” Gene

Written by Luis Domínguez

Luciano DiTacchio and Satchidananda Panda Salk Institute

Luciano DiTacchio, an American School of Puerto Vallarta graduate, is part of a team of researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies that recently discovered a gene responsible for starting the biological clock every morning.

Have you ever woken up in the morning just before your alarm clock starts making noise? Biologist Satchidananda Panda and his postdoctoral associate Luciano DiTacchio have discovered a gene that wakes people up in a similar way as a key turns a car on. The gene, a molecule called JARID1a, activates the Period gene, a basic component of people's biological clock.

Luciano DiTacchio grew up in Puerto Vallarta and attended the American School before enrolling in the University of Texas to study Molecular Biology, specializing in the Circadian System. Now, he is part of the Panda Lab team as a Postdoctoral Fellow.

According to the Salk Institute, the biological clock ramps up our metabolism early each day, initiating important physiological functions that tell our bodies that it's time to rise and shine. Discovery of this new gene and the mechanism by which it starts the clock everyday may help explain the genetic underpinnings of sleeplessness, aging and chronic illnesses, such as cancer and diabetes, and could eventually lead to new therapies for these illnesses.

"Master clock" cells - Salk Institute
The discovery has been published in the scientific journal Science, and it could have important implications for older people, whose circadian clocks begin to break down as they age, causing many to suffer from “fragmented sleep”.

Now that scientists understand why we wake each day, they can explore the role of JARID1a in sleep disorders and chronic diseases, possibly using it as a target for new drugs.

It is always good news when there is a scientific breakthrough like the one accomplished by Luciano, Dr. Panda and their team. But when a Mexican, raised in our town, is involved in the achievement, then it becomes great news, not only because of Luciano’s success, which is huge; but because he’s showing to a whole country that it is possible, that there are ways to get to the top of your field and become a difference maker.