optogenetics Archives

16 November 2022 Photo of Kirill Kovalev adjusting the sample injector at EMBL Hamburg’s P14 beamline.

Molecular solar panels can help scientists control brain cells

EMBLetc Kirill Kovalev, an EMBL Hamburg researcher, is studying the structure of an ancient bacterial molecule to help scientists control brain cell activity

2022

20 October 2022 On th eleft side of the image we see a rounded cell colony in green. Below that image we see a lateral slice of the colony that is flat. On the right side of the image we see a cell colony in green. Below that image we see a lateral slice of the colony that has folded.

On th eleft side of the image we see a rounded cell colony in green. Below that image we see a lateral slice of the colony that is flat. On the right side of the image we see a cell colony in green. Below that image we see a lateral slice of the colony that has folded.

The power of light: folding 3D tissues

Science EMBL Barcelona researchers have developed a tool that can use light to control the shape of cells .

2022

science

3 July 2019 Super-resolution image of the basal surface of a cellularising Drosophila embryo.

Actin crosslinking plays key role in tissue morphogenesis

Science New insights into mechanisms behind embryonic development

2019

science

15 November 2018 Top view picture of modified and natural invagination in a tissue

Controlling organ growth with light

Science The De Renzis group investigated invagination, the first step of organ development in embryos.

2018

science

18 June 2018 Three examples of the tissue shapes the team created. The black and white square, circle and triangle on the left correspond to the cells that were illuminated. On the right, three fruit fly embryos are shown in cyan, magenta and yellow, demonstrating how the illuminated cells folded inwards after the light-activation. IMAGE: Stefano De Renzis, EMBL

Three examples of the tissue shapes the team created. The black and white square, circle and triangle on the left correspond to the cells that were illuminated. On the right, three fruit fly embryos are shown in cyan, magenta and yellow, demonstrating how the illuminated cells folded inwards after the light-activation. IMAGE: Stefano De Renzis, EMBL

Constructing new tissue shapes with light

Science EMBL researchers guide the shape of cells and tissues with optogenetics

2018

science

8 February 2018 Optogenetics has successfully been used in a diverse range of organisms.

EMBL’s first wetlab e-learning courses go live

Events EMBL’s training programme launches its first e-learning courses: introductions to optogenetics and CLEM

2018

events

21 April 2016 Giorgia Guglielmi 's PhD project puts development in a new light. PHOTO: EMBL Photolab/Marietta Schupp

Light control

Science EMBL PhD project puts development in a new light

2016

science

19 November 2015 When illuminated with a laser, individual cells (bright yellow) within the fruit fly embryo cannot contract. This novel optogenetic approach helped to get insights into how tissues bend.