MIT Researchers Use Light to Control Starfish Cell Movements

The breakthrough study reveals how light-sensitive enzymes can reshape cells, uncovering principles of self-organization and potential biomedical applications.

• MIT scientists engineered a light-sensitive version of the GEF enzyme to manipulate starfish egg cells' shape and movement using optogenetics.
• The study discovered an 'excitability threshold,' where small light stimuli can trigger sweeping, whole-cell contractions.
• Researchers developed a theoretical framework to predict cellular shape changes in response to light stimulation.
• This research provides insights into how living systems self-organize and evolve shape during development.
• The findings pave the way for designing programmable synthetic cells for applications such as wound healing and targeted drug delivery.

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