A research team from the University of Manchester has found a way around the time zone changes, sleep and eating patterns that wreak havoc on frequent flyers crossing into new territories. According to their research, led by Dr. David Bechtold, found that if a particular enzyme was inhibited it would make adapting to a new environment happen much quicker.

“We are not genetically pre-disposed to quickly adapt to shift-work or long-haul flights, and as so our bodies’ clocks are built to resist such rapid changes,” Bechtold said, adding, “Unfortunately, we must deal with these issues today, and there is very clear evidence that disruption of our body clocks has real and negative consequences for our health.”

The Manchester team, who worked in conjunction with Pfizer, found that the casein kinase 1epsilon (CK1epsilon) enzyme is responsible for forming part of our internal “body clock.” When it lacks in the body, adaption to different light-dark environments is much faster, which could make travel all the more enjoyable for flyers and workers alike.

“As this work progresses in clinical terms,” Bechtold said, “We may be able to enhance the clock’s ability to deal with shift work, and importantly understand how maladaptation of the clock contributes to diseases such as diabetes and chronic inflammation.”