Recent research has showed that expression of clock genes show tissue-specificity. Learning about how, when, and why specific tissues show certain peaks in clock genes like PRR can reveal more about the subtle nuances of each gene within the repressilator.
Few investigations into the circadian oscillator mechanisms in species other than A. thaliana have taken place; learning which genes are responsible for clock functions in other species will give more insight into the similarities and differences in clocks across plant species.
The mechanistic details of each step in the plant biological clock repressilator system have yet to be fully understood. An understanding of these will give knowledge of clock function and, across species, increase understanding of the ecological and evolutionary functions of circadian oscillators.
Additionally, identifying direct targets of PRR5, PRR7 and PRR9 that are not CCA1 and LHY will provide information about the molecular links from the PRRs to output genes like the flowering pathway and metabolism in mitochondria, which are CCA1-independent.