Bioluminescence-light emitted by a luciferase enzyme oxidizing a small-molecule substrate, a luciferin-can be harnessed to activate photosensory proteins, thereby adding another dimension to light stimulation and enabling the manipulation of a multitude of light-mediated functions in cells across temporal and spatial scales.
Crespo, E. L., Bjorefeldt, A., Prakash, M., Hochgeschwender, U. Bioluminescent Optogenetics 2.0: Harnessing Bioluminescence to Activate Photosensory Proteins In Vitro and In Vivo. J. Vis. Exp. (174), e62850, doi:10.3791/62850 (2021).