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To visit our website at University of Bonn click [http://igem12.uni-bonn.de/en/ HERE].

Fusion protein design has always been time- and design-intensive, to say the least. We are developing and characterizing a fusion construct containing a light sensitive domain, providing easy coupling and light activation of proteins of interest for researchers, thus developing a protein-level light-induced knockout.

Using the LOV (Light, Oxygen, Voltage) domain commonly found in some plants, where it enables light-directed growth, we are establishing guidelines for coupling proteins of interest to the LOV domain, which allows control of protein activity through blue wavelength light. Designing our reversible knockout at the protein level allows quick response times (2,2 microseconds activation time, 85 seconds deactivation time).

At time our project covers coupling the LOV domain with various proteins which induce cell-death, which allows developing a cell which is killed by light. The experience gained by working on creating the required fusion proteins might make it possible to fuse any other protein with LOV too and make it light-switchable.