Optogenetics - The World of Proteins Controlled by Light

Data

Official data in SubjectManager for the following academic year: 2021-2022

Course director

Number of hours/semester

lectures: 0 hours

practices: 0 hours

seminars: 12 hours

total of: 12 hours

Subject data

  • Code of subject: OSF-OPG-T
  • 1 kredit
  • Dentistry
  • Optional modul
  • spring
Prerequisites:

OSA-BZ1-T completed , OSA-MF1-T completed

Course headcount limitations

min. 5 – max. 24

Topic

Optogenetics refers to the intracellular use of photosensitive proteins that can be turned on or off using light to finely regulate specific biochemical processes.
This dynamically evolving revolutionary research method was first used by neuroscience in the early 2000s, but today, conquering several other fields of natural sciences, it can be found in basic biological, biophysical and biotechnological research as well as in many areas of medicine.
In order to demonstrate the extensive use of these proteins, we review the most well-known types of light-sensitive proteins, their mechanisms of action, and their biophysical characteristics. We then show, through a wealth of practical examples, how these proteins can be utilised. In addition to the methods used in basic research, we also focus on practical applications in medicine, primarily by presenting the latest advances in the treatment of certain diseases.

Lectures

Practices

Seminars

  • 1. Introduction, general aspects of photo-responsive proteins
  • 2. Opsins 1
  • 3. Opsins 2
  • 4. BLUF domains 1
  • 5. BLUF domains 2
  • 6. LOV domains 1
  • 7. LOV domains 2
  • 8. Fluorescent proteins
  • 9. Cryptochromes 1
  • 10. Cryptochromes 2
  • 11. Biophysical aspects of the investigation of photo-responsive proteins
  • 12. Test or presentation

Reading material

Obligatory literature

Literature developed by the Department

Will be published on Teams, Moodle or PotePedia.

Notes

Recommended literature

Conditions for acceptance of the semester

Maximum of 25 % absence allowed

Mid-term exams

Will be published on Teams, Moodle or PotePedia.

Making up for missed classes

None

Exam topics/questions

Will be published on Teams, Moodle or PotePedia.

Examiners

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars

  • Dr. Fekete Zsuzsanna
  • Dr. Lukács András Szilárd
  • Pécsi Ildikó