Princeton University

University of Pennsylvania

Jose L Avalos

Jared Toettcher

Evan M Zhao

Brian Yichiun Chow

Maxwell Wilson

Saachi Datta

David Gonzalez-Martinez

Agnieszka Gil

Lukasz Bugaj

William Benman

Alexander Goglia

Cesar Carrasco-Lopez

Eva M Zhao

Jarad E Toettcher

Provided herein is a stimulation and measurement device. The stimulation and measurement device includes a microwell plate having a top side, a bottom side, and at least one well extending from the top side towards the bottom side; a first assembly removably positioned on the top side of the microwell plate; a second assembly removably positioned on the bottom side of the microwell plate; and a microcontroller. The first assembly includes a first printed circuit board having at least one pair of stimulating light emitting diodes (LEDs) positioned thereon to align with one of the wells. The second assembly includes a second printed circuit board having at least one photodiode positioned thereon to align with one of the pairs of stimulating LEDs, and at least one excitation LED paired with each of the photodiodes. The microcontroller is configured to control the stimulating LED(s), the photodiode(s), and the excitation LED(s).

Photostimulation device and methods of using the same

A system and method for controlling metabolic enzymes or pathways in cells to produce a chemical above the levels of a wild-type strain is disclosed. The system utilizes cells, including yeasts, bacteria, and molds, having at least two genes capable of being controlled bi-directionally with light, where one gene is turned from off to on when exposed to light and another gene is turned from on to off when exposed to light, the two genes reversing when the light is turned off. Cells may utilize any number of sequences that benefit chemical production, including sequences that: encode for constitutive transcription of light-activated transcription factor fusions; encode for a metabolic enzyme; encode for a repressor; induce expression of metabolic enzymes; and an endogenous or exogenous activator expressed by a constitutive promoter, inducible promoter, or gene circuit. These systems may be coupled to biosensors or protein cascade systems, enabling the monitoring or automation of the fermentation process to optimize production of a desired product. These systems may also allow for optimization and periodic operation of a bioreactor using light pulses.

System and method of optogenetically controlling metabolic pathways for the production of chemicals

Provided herein is an isolated fusion protein comprising a light-responsive domain and a heterologous peptide component. Exposure of the fusion protein to light induces a conformational change in the fusion protein that alters an activity of the fusion protein and the activity is a binding activity selected from an in vitro binding activity, an in vivo extracellular binding activity and an in vivo intracellular binding activity. Also provided are methods of using and identifying the fusion proteins.

Light-responsive fusion proteins for controlling binding to targets

Growing community of inventors

Princeton, NJ, United States of America

Jose L Avalos