26.03.2025 – 3min

The Rhythm of Life: Prof. Paul Petrus on How Our Body’s Clock Shapes Metabolism and Health

Join us for an exclusive interview with Prof. Paul Petrus from the Petrus Lab. His research focuses on endocrinology and diabetes, with a particular interest in lipid metabolism and its role in cardiometabolic diseases. Dr. Petrus has contributed to several notable publications, including studies on the regulation of lipid mobilization in human adipocytes and the links between obesity, inflammation, and glutamine.

Q: Tell us about your research at your current lab. What are the primary areas of investigation, and what are some of the key questions you’re exploring?

P: My lab focuses on understanding circadian rhythms and their impact on metabolism and behaviors. We investigate how biological clocks coordinate physiology across different tissues and how disruptions, such as chronic jet lag, affect metabolic- and mental- health.

Q: What sparked your interest in this particular field of research, and what are the long-term goals you’re working towards?

P: My interest in circadian rhythms started when I listened to a talk on the subject and realized just how dynamic gene-environment interactions are. The fact that we have a genetically encoded molecular clock that not only anticipates recurring environmental fluctuations but is also synchronized by them fascinated me. It’s a striking example of how tightly coupled our biology is to the external world. By understanding these mechanisms, we can develop novel treatments that align medical interventions with the body’s natural rhythms, ultimately improving health outcomes.

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you encounter in your research, and what innovative approaches are you taking to overcome them?

P: The biggest challenge with studying circadian biology is the need to take measurements at multiple times a day. Any platform that allows for continues measurements over a long period of time is useful to overcome these challenges.

Q: What research methodologies have you found most effective for studying metabolic and behavioral processes, and why?

P: Using a metabolic cage system that tracks behaviors and metabolism over several days is very useful for our research as we get information about the circadian rhythms of these parameters.

Q: How has technology, in general, advanced your research capabilities in recent years?

P: Since we usually have a large sample number, the improved cost-effectiveness of RNA sequencing technology has allowed us to take a systems biology approach to answer our scientific questions.

Q: You’re using the PhenoMaster system in your lab. What specific advantages has it brought to your work, and could you share an example of how it has helped you achieve a research goal?

P: Food intake, locomotor activity and respiration is a must in metabolic research. Having the metabolic cages in our lab allows us to perform state-of-the-art research in the field. The integrated measurement of food intake, locomotor activity, and respiration (all crucial parameters in metabolic research) within a single cage setup has eliminated the need for separate experiments, saving us considerable time and resources. This integrated data was vital in revealing subtle changes that would have been difficult to detect with individual systems, ultimately leading to a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms at play.

Q: You’ve added the C13 sensor to your PhenoMaster system. How do you plan to utilize this technology in your research?

P: The C13 sensor will enable us to trace the utilization of specific carbon-containing nutrients within our metabolic studies. By integrating this with tissue-specific metabolomics, we can determine if the storage of these nutrients varies across different times of day.

Q: What are some of the exciting future directions you see for metabolic and behavioral research, particularly with tools like PhenoMaster?

P: We are interested in the link between metabolic and mental disorders. Having the possibility to get information on both metabolic- and mental- functions in the same system is very advantageous for us.

Thank you for taking the time to share your work with us, Professor Petrus. We wish you all the best and are excited to follow your upcoming discoveries.

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