Optical Control of Cellular Processes with Chemical Tools

Biological processes, for example signal transduction, protein function, and gene expression, are regulated with high spatial and temporal precision. In order to study and understand these processes, equally precise external control is required. Light is an excellent tool for this purpose, as it can be easily regulated in timing, location, wavelength, and amplitude, thereby enabling high-resolution optical control of biological processes. We are developing optochemical tools to control oligonucleotide and protein function with light by combining synthetic chemistry with cell and molecular biology. For recent review articles see: ACS Chem. Biol. 2014, 9, 1398-1407 and Acc. Chem. Res. 2014, 47, 45-55.