Reagents to photocontrol biology

Light, chemistry, action!
The precision and power of optical imaging have been massive drivers of modern biology; so too have drugs that selectively modulate protein function. One major axis of our research is to bring together these two fields, developing high-precision photocontrolled inhibitors or "photopharmaceuticals". These can leverage spatiotemporally precise applications of light to pattern their bioactivity, targeting them spatially to particular cells or subcellular areas, and temporally by switching their activity on and off at will.

Our target-oriented research focuses on (1) photoresponsive tubulin binders to modulate the microtubule cytoskeleton; and (2) photoswitchable channel & receptor modulators to study sensing and signaling; as well as reagents for biophysics studies of lipid bilayer membranes.

Our conceptual research focuses on (3) exploring how photocontrol paradigms dictate the scope and performance of photopharmacology in a fully target-agnostic fashion: from pharmacology (how a photoswitch ought to even interact with its biological target), to photochemistry (new ways to photocontrol old molecular switches), down to primary chemistry (new molecular switches).

And just next door: the world-leading TU Dresden Dye Collection for inspiration!