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Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Rapid Optimization of a Light-Inducible System to Control Mammalian Gene Expression
Published on: November 4, 2025
A light-inducible CRISPR-Cas9 system for control of endogenous gene activation
Lauren R Polstein1, Charles A Gersbach2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Abstract:
Optogenetic systems enable precise spatial and temporal control of cell behavior. We engineered a light-activated CRISPR-Cas9 effector (LACE) system that induces transcription of endogenous genes in the presence of blue light. This was accomplished by fusing the light-inducible heterodimerizing proteins CRY2 and CIB1 to a transactivation domain and the catalytically inactive dCas9, respectively. The versatile LACE system can be easily directed to new DNA sequences for the dynamic regulation of endogenous genes.
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