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Optovolution: Teaching Proteins to Think Like Computers (EP. 31)

Optovolution: Teaching Proteins to Think Like Computers (EP. 31)

From First Principles vor 7 Monaten

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55:32

Hosted by Lester Nare and Krishna Choudhary, this episode is a deep
dive into a new synthetic-biology breakthrough out of EPFL:
OptoEvolution. The big idea is simple but powerful — traditional
directed evolution is great at making proteins that are always
“on,” but biology is full of proteins that need to switch states,
respond to stimuli, and behave more like logic gates than static
tools. This paper takes directed evolution and couples it to light
and the cell cycle, creating a new way to evolve dynamic proteins
that can toggle, compute, and respond with far more control.
Summary Why directed evolution needed an upgrade — classic methods
select for proteins with continuous function, not proteins that
toggle between active and inactive states. OptoEvolution — using
light as a control signal and the cell cycle as a built-in
oscillator to evolve proteins that must turn on and off to survive.
Color-multiplexed biology — engineering proteins to respond to
different wavelengths of light, opening the door to finer control
of gene expression. Single-protein logic gates — proof-of-concept
AND-gate behavior inside a single protein, hinting at a future
where biology can be programmed with much more software-like
precision. Support the show Donate: FFPod.com/donate Follow: @FFPod
on X / Instagram / TikTok / Facebook Show Notes OptoEvolution /
dynamic protein control (Cell)