Optogenetics: Regulating Certain Target Genes with Light
Optogenetics is the combination of genetic and optical methods to control specific events in targeted cells of living tissue.
As we know, light is the source of our very existence. All of the energy and food used on our planet can be traced back to energy from sunlight at some point.
From photosynthesis that generate biological energy for plants, algae and bacteria to grow, to modern developments of direct sunlight capture for energy generation (like PV panels, CSP and large scale solar plants ).
At the very basis of this light sensing and energy capture in nature are photosensors.
They capture the light energy and turn it into a biological signal. These processes go beyond ‘simply’ generating energy, but also include regulating seed germination and flowering in plants, allowing you to see in color, and control ‘biological clocks’ in plants, animals and humans.
If you wonder what your biological clock is, think about the time you were waking up just before your alarm clock was about to go off, or the jet-lag you experienced on your last international trip.
Although we have long known about these photosensors, it hasn’t been until more recently that we have a better understanding of what these proteins are and how they send signals through cells.
Most of the research had therefore been limited to fundamental studies, but recent breakthroughs that unveil how these photosensors work, and the increasing ability to genetically engineer and manipulate them, is opening a bright new world of applications.
Optogenetics – Light Activated Gene Control For Therapeutics
With mainly algae, yeast and bacteria as model systems we and other scientists are developing systems to regulate certain target genes with light. A process called optogenetics.
This is done by engineering photosensors to be ‘turned on’ by a certain color of light, after which they interact with DNA and turn certain target genes on or off. Imagine the power this has if these genes are important targets in cancer development, or diabetes or heart disease. Recent focus is also on the use of optogenetics to control neurological processes in the brain.
In the simple model systems we can now already make cells move, grow and divide or produce therapeutics with a simple light command.
Current uses of optogenetics are limited to research labs and small scale bench experiments. It is mainly used as a tool to turn genes on or off and we are currently in a proof-of-concept stage.
Nevertheless it is imaginable that this type of ‘non-invasive’ gene regulation will change the way patient treatment is done. Imagine how a drug being released at a specific organ or tissue by simply shining light on it, would severely diminish side effects.
For example, mice have been bioengineered with neurons sensitive to light. Optical fibers are implanted into their skulls, and blue light is flashed on a specific neural pathway in the amygdala, a brain region involved in processing emotions.
Anxious mice, which normally keep to the sides of their enclosure, lose their inhibition and scamper freely.
Applications of photosensors go beyond conventional therapeutics, and research is being done to use them to generate artificial vision in blind patients and to generate biological computer chips that have the potential to be a hundred to one thousand fold faster than current electronic chips.
The Future is Bright
We realize this all sounds like science fiction and lot of challenges need to be overcome before we can cure people with light therapy.
Not the least is moving beyond the small model systems into larger organisms (plants, animals and eventually humans), but keep in mind that we all have photosensors that we are already using just about every minute of the day, and it may not be such a major leap to start targeting those to increase our health.
At the Advanced Energy Creations Lab we are always searching for innovative ways to change and improve the world and we believe that the future for optogenetics is bright.
By: Dr. John Kyndt (Head Scientist of the Renewable Energy Program at Advanced Energy Creations Lab) and Dr. Aecio D’Silva, CEO Moura Technologies
