Optogenetics: From Design to Cell Signalling to Tissue Morphogenesis

Overview

Course Overview

Optogenetics is a powerful technique that has been primarily applied in the field of neuroscience with spectacular success. This course will be focused specifically on the new and emerging field of non-neuronal optogenetics. The possibility to modulate signaling pathways and cell behavior with high spatio-temporal precision offers entirely novel approaches to dissect molecular mechanisms governing morphogenesis and homeostasis from the cell to the organismal scale.

Audience

The course is aimed at PhD students, post-docs or more senior scientists actively involved in experimental work who intend to apply optogenetics to the field of cell and developmental biology.

Modules/Resources

• Photoreceptors utilised in non-neuronal optogenetics
• In silico genetic engineering/bioinformatics
• In situ application of optogenetic methods in cultured mammalian cells
• Spatial light patterning
• Multi-photon microscopy
• In vivo applications in model organisms including Drosophila melanogaster

Learning Outcomes

While optogenetics will have broad impact on many fields of  biology, it is currently challenging to design and perform optogenetic experiments. Significant experimental pitfalls exist and many new optogenetic tools are being developed. With this course we will bring together experts in the field that will teach participants to overcome pitfalls and provide a comprehensive coverage of the current state-of-the-art and future developments, while providing significant hands-on experience at the microscope.

Speakers

Speakers

Lorena Benedetti

Janelia Research Campus

USA

Brian Chow

University of Pennsylvania

USA

Mathieu Coppey

Institut Curie

France

Stefano De Renzis

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Barbara Di Ventura

University of Freiburg

Germany

Agnieszka Gil

Princeton University

USA

Michael Glotzer

University of Chicago

USA

Brian Graziano

UCSF

USA

Harald Janovjak

Monash University

Australia

Lukas Kapitein

Utrecht University

The Netherlands

Mustafa Khammash

ETH Zurich

Switzerland

Sonja Kleinlogel

University of Bern

Switzerland

Daniel Krueger

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Andreas Möglich

University of Bayreuth

Germany

Cristina Pallares

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Emiliano Ronzitti

Université Paris Descartes

France

Alexandra-Madelaine Tichy

Monash University

Australia

Jared Toettcher

Princeton University

USA

Ranjith Viswanathan

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Wilfried Weber

University Freiburg

Germany

Seraphine Wegner

Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research

Germany

Stephanie Woo

University of California Merced

USA

Scientific Organisers

Stefano De Renzis

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Harald Janovjak

Monash University

Australia

Jared Toettcher

Princeton University

USA

Course Organisers

Maria Mercedes Bacadare Goitia

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Programme