Curated Optogenetic Publication Database

Search precisely and efficiently by using the advantage of the hand-assigned publication tags that allow you to search for papers involving a specific trait, e.g. a particular optogenetic switch or a host organism.

Showing 1 - 5 of 5 results
1.

Inteins: A Swiss army knife for synthetic biology.

blue LOV domains Review
Biotechnol Adv, 27 Mar 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108349 Link to full text
Abstract: Inteins are proteins found in nature that execute protein splicing. Among them, split inteins stand out for their versatility and adaptability, presenting creative solutions for addressing intricate challenges in various biological applications. Their exquisite attributes, including compactness, reliability, orthogonality, low toxicity, and irreversibility, make them of interest to various fields including synthetic biology, biotechnology and biomedicine. In this review, we delve into the inherent challenges of using inteins, present approaches for overcoming these challenges, and detail their reliable use for specific cellular tasks. We will discuss the use of conditional inteins in areas like cancer therapy, drug screening, patterning, infection treatment, diagnostics and biocontainment. Additionally, we will underscore the potential of inteins in executing basic logical operations with practical implications. We conclude by showcasing their potential in crafting complex genetic circuits for performing computations and feedback control that achieves robust perfect adaptation.
2.

Optogenetic technologies in translational cancer research.

blue cyan green near-infrared red Cryptochromes Fluorescent proteins LOV domains Phytochromes Review
Biotechnol Adv, 9 Jun 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108005 Link to full text
Abstract: Gene and cell therapies are widely recognized as future cancer therapeutics but poor controllability limits their clinical applications. Optogenetics, the use of light-controlled proteins to precisely spatiotemporally regulate the activity of genes and cells, opens up new possibilities for cancer treatment. Light of specific wavelength can activate the immune response, oncolytic activity and modulate cell signaling in tumor cells non-invasively, in dosed manner, with tissue confined action and without side effects of conventional therapies. Here, we review optogenetic approaches in cancer research, their clinical potential and challenges of incorporating optogenetics in cancer therapy. We critically discuss beneficial combinations of optogenetic technologies with therapeutic nanobodies, T-cell activation and CAR-T cell approaches, genome editors and oncolytic viruses. We consider viral vectors and nanoparticles for delivering optogenetic payloads and activating light to tumors. Finally, we highlight herein the prospects for integrating optogenetics into immunotherapy as a novel, fast, reversible and safe approach to cancer treatment.
3.

Optogenetic tools for microbial synthetic biology.

blue green near-infrared red BLUF domains Cryptochromes LOV domains Phytochromes Review
Biotechnol Adv, 6 Apr 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107953 Link to full text
Abstract: Chemical induction is one of the most common modalities used to manipulate gene expression in living systems. However, chemical induction can be toxic or expensive that compromise the economic feasibility when it comes to industrial-scale synthetic biology applications. These complications have driven the pursuit of better induction systems. Optogenetics technique can be a solution as it not only enables dynamic control with unprecedented spatiotemporal precision but also is inexpensive and eco-friendlier. The optogenetic technique harnesses natural light-sensing modules that are genetically encodable and re-programmable in various hosts. By further engineering these modules to connect with the microbial regulatory machinery, gene expression and protein activity can be finely tuned simply through light irradiation. Recent works on applying optogenetics to microbial synthetic biology have yielded remarkable achievements. To further expand the usability of optogenetics, more optogenetic tools with greater portability that are compatible with different microbial hosts need to be developed. This review focuses on non-opsin optogenetic systems and the current state of optogenetic advancements in microbes, by showcasing the different designs and functions of optogenetic tools, followed by an insight into the optogenetic approaches used to circumvent challenges in synthetic biology.
4.

Optogenetic strategies for the control of gene expression in yeasts.

blue green near-infrared red UV violet BLUF domains Cobalamin-binding domains Cryptochromes LOV domains Phytochromes UV receptors Review
Biotechnol Adv, 28 Sep 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107839 Link to full text
Abstract: Optogenetics involves the use of light to control cellular functions and has become increasingly popular in various areas of research, especially in the precise control of gene expression. While this technology is already well established in neurobiology and basic research, its use in bioprocess development is still emerging. Some optogenetic switches have been implemented in yeasts for different purposes, taking advantage of a wide repertoire of biological parts and relatively easy genetic manipulation. In this review, we cover the current strategies used for the construction of yeast strains to be used in optogenetically controlled protein or metabolite production, as well as the operational aspects to be considered for the scale-up of this type of process. Finally, we discuss the main applications of optogenetic switches in yeast systems and highlight the main advantages and challenges of bioprocess development considering future directions for this field.
5.

Synthetic biology approaches for targeted protein degradation.

blue LOV domains Review
Biotechnol Adv, 7 Sep 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.107446 Link to full text
Abstract: Protein degradation is an effective native mechanism used in modulating intracellular information, and thus it plays an essential role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Repurposing native protein degradation in a synthetic context is gaining attention as a new strategy to manipulate cellular behavior rapidly for a wide range of applications including disease detection and therapy. This review examines the native mechanisms and machineries by which mammalian cells degrade their own proteins including the sequence of events from identifying a candidate for degradation to the protein's destruction. Next, it explores engineering efforts to degrade both exogenous and native proteins with high specificity and control by targeting proteins into the degradation cascade. A complete understanding of design rules with an ability to use cellular information as signals will allow control over the cellular behavior in a well-defined manner.
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