Circadian Chip: Measuring circadian disruption in mood disorders

Depression and other mood disorders are highly prevalent conditions that can have a significant impact on individuals, leading to disability and potentially reducing life expectancy by many years. Despite the substantial burden they pose, the exact causes and optimal management strategies for these disorders remain unclear. One commonly observed feature among individuals with severe mood disorders is disrupted circadian rhythms. The precise nature of the relationship between circadian rhythm disruption and the development of psychopathology is not well understood. This project aims to investigate molecular mechanisms that may underlie certain mood disorders, specifically the dysfunction of the circadian clock. To achieve this goal, a novel nanotechnology called the 'Circadian Chip' will be developed. The Circadian Chip will be capable of monitoring blood-based biomarkers with high-resolution and this might provide a tool to gain entirely new insights into the molecular mechanism of circadian disruption and associated mood disorders. This project will provide an opportunity for students to acquire skills in a multidisciplinary environment at the interface of psychology, molecular biology, and nanotechnology. Figure 1. Investigating the role of blood-based biomarkers in patients with mood disorders using the Circadian Chip – a digital nanotechnology that enables high resolution profiling of circulating biomarkers (more details: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21431-w)