SFB1551 Project: R04

Project Title: Regulating Cellular Functions by Light-Gated Assembly of Phase Separated Nanostructures (Optoaggregates)

Summary: Our project investigates the aggregation of specific proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s Disease, and Alzheimer’s. The exact causes of disease progression remain unclear. Our research aims to develop a cutting-edge system to release medically relevant peptide sequences from these proteins into cells using light induction, provoking cellular aggregation that mimics disease models. This enables us to study the metabolic impacts of these aggregates and their role in neuronal degeneration.