CIBSS Area C

Engineering liquid-liquid phase separation for the control of signalling processes

Prof. Dr. Wilfried Weber (CIBSS-AI), INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials and Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany

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Synthetic biological technologies to control signaling processes in response to light are an important approach to understand the spatio-temporal dynamics of signaling processes. In our project we engineer photoreceptors to cluster or undergo liquid-liquid phase separation to promote the association or dissociation of signaling molecules such as kinases. We exemplify this approach by key signaling molecules such as IKK of the NF-kB pathway. We demonstrate light-controlled, time-resolved and reversible activation of NF-kB target genes to understand the dynamics of this pathway.