Analysis and Bioengineering of Optogenetic Rhodopsins

Trustees Of Boston University, Boston

Investigators

Abstract

1264434 Rothschild The research will involve three laboratories at the BU Photonics Center (Rothschild, Erramilli and Han) and utilize advanced spectroscopic and biophysical/bioengineering techniques along with collaborators at UC Davis Center for Biophotonics, MIT, Harvard University, and University of Texas. A central feature of the research will be the use of time-resolved FTIR difference spectroscopic, ultra-fast laser spectroscopy and confocal near-IR Raman techniques to measure molecular changes in optogenetic rhodopsins upon light excitation on a time-scale of seconds to femtoseconds. Preliminary work has demonstrated that a variety of optogenetic rhodopsins can be reconstituted into proteolipid membranes including nanolipidparticles and studied using advanced spectroscopic methods to obtain detailed molecular information about their function. In addition, spectroscopic studies have been extended to living cells allowing these proteins to be studied in their native environment in order to determine molecule effects of such factors as membrane potential. Collaborators on this project include: Dr. Ed Boyden at MIT, widely recognized as one of the co-founders of optogenetics and a leading developer of new neurophotonic technology; Dr. Matt Coleman at UCD, who has developed methods of expressing rhodopsins into nanolipidparticles (NLPs) and forming microcrystals suitable for coherent x-ray diffraction imaging (CXDI), Dr. John Spudich, at the U. Texas Med. School, a pioneer in the field of microbial rhodopsins and co-discoverer of channelrhodopsins and Dr. Adam Cohen, whose laboratory at Harvard University has recently demonstrated that rhodopsins can be used to monitor transmembrane voltage in living nerves.