The pancreas has its own molecular clock. Now, for the first time, a new study has shown this ancient circadian clock regulates the production of insulin. If the clock is faulty, the result is diabetes. The researchers show that insulin-secreting islet cells in the pancreas, called beta-cells, have their own dedicated clock. The clock governs the rhythmic behavior of proteins and genes involved in insulin secretion, with oscillations over a 24-hour cycle.