Timing is everything: Researchers describe genetic clockwork in germ cell development

The nematode C. elegans is truly an organizational talent: The tiny animals live for only two to three weeks, with sexual maturity lasting only four days. They still manage to generate over 300 offspring during this period. For this ambitious development program to function optimally, a large number of processes must be synchronized within their cells. Geneticists have deciphered a central signalling pathway that encodes and controls these processes.