Michael W. Young

Michael W. Young, born on March twenty-eight, nineteen forty-nine, is a distinguished American geneticist and chronobiologist. With a career spanning several decades, he has focused his research on the genetically controlled patterns of sleep and wakefulness in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, commonly known as the fruit fly.

At Rockefeller University, Young has led a pioneering lab that has made remarkable contributions to the field of chronobiology. His team has been instrumental in identifying crucial genes that regulate the internal clock responsible for circadian rhythms. Among his significant achievements is the elucidation of the period gene, which is essential for the normal sleep cycles of the fruit fly.

In addition to the period gene, Young's lab is credited with the discovery of the timeless and doubletime genes. These genes produce proteins that play vital roles in maintaining circadian rhythms. His groundbreaking work in this area has not only advanced our understanding of biological clocks but has also paved the way for further research in sleep and related disorders.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to science, Michael W. Young was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in two thousand seventeen, sharing this prestigious honor with Jeffrey C. Hall and Michael Rosbash for their discoveries of the molecular mechanisms controlling circadian rhythms.