Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Title : | Characterization and Design of Transcription Factors as Optoswitches: Bringing Light to Gene Expression |
Area of research : | Life Sciences & Biotechnology |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Devrani Mitra, Presidency University, Kolkata, West Bengal |
Timeline Start Year : | 2024 |
Timeline End Year : | 2027 |
Contact info : | devrani.dbs@presiuniv.ac.in |
Equipments : | Cryogenic shipper with canes
Freezer (-80 degree C)
Incubator shaker (refrigerated) |
Details
Executive Summary : | The regulation and stability of gene expression are crucial for life's sustenance. sensory transcription factors (TFs) respond to environmental signals and bind to promoter/enhancer sequences to mediate gene activation/silencing at precise spatio-temporal resolution. Light, being the most persistent, non-toxic, and pervasive environmental stimuli, is the major goal of this proposal. Optogenetics, which allows natural/engineered photoreceptors to manipulate cellular phenomena using light, has brought about a paradigm shift in biology. The proposal consists of two parts: characterization of naturally occurring photoreceptor-TFs and designing synthetic light-regulated TFs for therapeutic purposes. The blue-light regulated light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) photoreceptor cum TFs are chosen due to their high quantum effciency, tunable photocycle kinetics, and small size. Multiple strategies are planned to develop light-regulated TFs with therapeutic potential, including diversifying substrate DNA specificity, improving dynamic range, and exploring interchangeability of DBDs. Tools from molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, and structural bioinformatics will be used to achieve these objectives. The successful light-regulated TFs with improved photochemical efficiency and substrate DNA binding activity will be tested in cardiomyocyte cell lines, leading to further collaborative endeavors. |
Co-PI: | Prof. soumen Roy, Bose Institute, Kolkata, West Bengal-700091 |
Total Budget (INR): | 46,78,694 |
Organizations involved