Simultaneous spectral illumination of microplates for high-throughput optogenetics and photobiology

Abstract: The biophysical characterization and engineering of optogenetic tools and photobiological systems has been hampered by the lack of efficient methods for spectral illumination of microplates for high-throughput analysis of action spectra. Current methods to determine action spectra only allow the sequential spectral illumination of individual wells. Here we present the open-source RainbowCap-system, which combines LEDs and optical filters in a standard 96-well microplate format for simultaneous and spectrally defined illumination. The RainbowCap provides equal photon flux for each wavelength, with the output of the LEDs narrowed by optical bandpass filters. We validated the RainbowCap for photoactivatable G protein-coupled receptors (opto-GPCRs) and enzymes for the control of intracellular downstream signaling. The simultaneous, spectrally defined illumination provides minimal interruption during time-series measurements, while resolving 10 nm differences in the action spectra of optogenetic proteins under identical experimental conditions. The RainbowCap is also suitable for studying the spectral dependence of light-regulated gene expression in bacteria, which requires illumination over several hours. In summary, the RainbowCap provides high-throughput spectral illumination of microplates, while its modular, customizable design allows easy adaptation to a wide range of optogenetic and photobiological applications.

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• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Simultaneous spectral illumination of microplates for high-throughput optogenetics and photobiology ; volume:405 ; number:11-12 ; year:2024 ; pages:751-763 ; extent:13 ; Biological chemistry ; 405, Heft 11-12 (2024), 751-763 (gesamt 13)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Vogt, Arend ; Paulat, Raik ; Parthier, Daniel ; Just, Verena ; Szczepek, Michal ; Scheerer, Patrick Klaus ; Xu, Qianzhao ; Möglich, Andreas ; Schmitz, Dietmar ; Rost, Benjamin R. ; Wenger, Nikolaus

Further information

• DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2023-0205
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2501090243585.571356533109
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.