  Motivated by the observation of non-exponential run-time distributions of
bacterial swimmers, we propose a minimal phenomenological model for taxis of
active particles whose motion is controlled by an internal clock. The ticking
of the clock depends on an external concentration field, e.g. a chemical
substance. We demonstrate that these particles can detect concentration
gradients and respond to them by moving up- or down-gradient depending on the
clock design, albeit measurements of these fields are purely local in space and
instantaneous in time. Altogether, our results open a new route in the study of
directional navigation, by showing that the use of a clock to control motility
actions represents a generic and versatile toolbox to engineer behavioral
responses to external cues, such as light, chemical, or temperature gradients.
