Light-Guided 'Optovolution' Evolves Proteins that Switch States on Schedule

Light-guided 'optovolution' evolves proteins that switch states on schedule

EPFL researchers have developed a light-based method that can produce proteins that switch states, respond to signals, and even compute, using light and the cell cycle.

Scientists Use Light To Evolve Proteins That Switch Like Tiny Computers

Scientists used light to evolve proteins that can switch, sense, and even “compute” inside living cells.

Light-Directed System Accelerates Evolution of Complex Protein Functions

Scientists have developed a novel protein evolution approach dubbed optovolution that uses light to guide the evolution of proteins with dynamic, multi-state, and computational functions based on specific rules. Details of the work are published in a new Cell paper titled “Light-directed evolution of dynamic, multi-state, and computational protein functionalities.” The research was led by scientists at the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of L…

How Light Accelerates Protein Evolution

In the relentless pursuit of mastering biological systems, evolution has long been humanity’s unparalleled engineer, capable of sculpting life through natural selection. From the earliest agricultural practices where farmers selectively bred livestock and crops, to modern laboratories engineering proteins for diverse applications, the evolutionary process remains central to biological innovation. However, traditional laboratory approaches to dir…