In cloning the first mammalian clock gene, Dr. Joseph S. Takahashi and his colleagues provided clear evidence that circadian genes in mammals and fruit flies are closely related. Dr. Takahashi explains how researchers used genomics and computer-based informatics to tease out the secrets of how clocks function in higher organisms. Information about biological rhythms has far-reaching implications for human health, including gaining a better understanding of shift-work hazards, the best time to take medicines, and inherited sleep disorders such as narcolepsy. From the Series:HHMI’s Understanding Biomedical Research Series