Finding light in the darkness
Physics-based approaches for the manipulation of the QuasAr6a photocycle
Marco Locarno (TU Delft - ImPhys/Brinks group)
Jacob Hoogenboom – Promotor (TU Delft - ImPhys/Imaging Physics)
D. Brinks – Copromotor (TU Delft - ImPhys/Brinks group)
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
This dissertation addresses one of the longstanding challenges in modern biomedical science: how to rapidly and precisely control the function of proteins in living cells. Traditionally, scientists have relied on genetic modifications to tweak proteins and improve their performance, but this approach has some inherent limitations in speed and adaptability. Instead, the work presented here explores an alternative strategy: manipulating the environment in which a protein operates to alter its behavior, rather than rewriting its genetic code. The study revolves around a genetically encoded voltage indicator known as QuasAr6a, a protein used to optically monitor electrical activity in cells, neurons in particular....