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Unlocking the potential of optogenetics in microbial applications
Moritz Benisch1, Stephanie K Aoki1, Mustafa Khammash1
1Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zürich, Schanzenstrasse 44, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
Current Opinion in Microbiology
|December 1, 2023
Summary
Optogenetics uses light to control cellular functions, offering precise tools beyond traditional methods. This review explores microbial optogenetics applications in biology, bioproduction, and therapeutics for novel advancements.
Area of Science:
- Microbial biotechnology
- Synthetic biology
- Optogenetics
Background:
- Optogenetics enables dynamic light-based manipulation of cellular behavior.
- The field has rapidly expanded since its inception in synthetic biology.
- Current applications often use optogenetics as a substitute for chemical inducers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review key features of microbial optogenetics.
- To highlight novel applications beyond conventional uses.
- To showcase the potential of optogenetics in various biological fields.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on microbial optogenetics.
- Analysis of diverse applications of optogenetic tools.
- Discussion of advancements in spatiotemporal precision.
Main Results:
- Optogenetics offers high spatiotemporal precision for cellular control.
- Applications extend to understanding complex biological systems.
- Novel uses are demonstrated in cocultures, bioproduction, biomaterials, and therapeutics.
Conclusions:
- Microbial optogenetics provides powerful tools for biological research and biotechnology.
- Its full potential is realized in applications not achievable by conventional methods.
- Optogenetics opens new avenues for bioproduction, biomaterials, and therapeutic strategies.
