A hybrid protein has been created that causes mouse cells to move in response to laser light. Such cells can be trained to follow a light beam or stop on command.
This is the first time researchers have been able to import a light-controlled “on-off switch” from plants into a mammalian cell to instantly control a variety of cell functions, the researchers said. As such, it offers both a powerful new tool in cancer and cardiovascular research, and the potential to ultimately control complex processes such as nerve growth.
“This is a powerful tool for cell biology and cancer research,” said Wendell Lim, a professor in the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) department of cellular and molecular pharmacology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute researcher.
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