Optogenetic control of signaling switches in mammalian cells

Prof. Dr. Gerald Radziwill (BIOSS and Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg)

Optogenetic tools allow for precise spatiotemporal control of signaling events in a non-invasive manner. This project aims at engineering and optimizing fast kinetic optogenetic switches to study the dynamics of the signaling network in mammalian cells. In a first step we will engineer and characterize light-regulated AKT and RAF, two protein kinases that play a crucial role in growth factor-induced signaling and in tumorigenesis. Opto-Kinases will also be used to establish test systems for clinical approved kinase inhibitors. In addition, the experiments will provide data for modeling and rewiring of the signal transduction network.