Towards the magnetic control of target cells

Magnetogenetics offers great promise for non-invasive control of cells, with potential applications ranging from the unravelling of complex biological networks to cell therapy. Its main advantage is that magnetic fields (MF) contain very little energy and therefore easily penetrate human tissue and cause minimal side effects. This project will design a novel magnetogentic tool based around the protein cryptochrome (CRY). CRY acts as a circadian regulator in animals and plants, and is involved in the quantum chemical model of animal magnetoreception. The project will capitalise on the fact that dimers are formed between activated CRY and its interaction partner CIB1, in order to develop a magnetogenetic tool for the control of gene expression. Working at both the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and The University of Manchester, the student will use molecular biology to construct the split partners of a Gal4 transcription factor, Gal4BD-CRY2 and Gal4AD-CIB1. At NPL, transgene expression driven by Gal4 in yeast cells (two-hybrid strain AH109) will be investigated under MF exposure. Following this phase, the project will be translated in vivo using the fruitfly Drosophila as an experimental model. In Manchester, the split GAL4 partners, Gal4BD-CRY2 and Gal4AD-CIB1, will be expressed in neurons in order to drive transgene expression that will alter neuronal signalling. Electrophysiology will be used to monitor MF-induced changes in neuronal activity.